HISTORY 


OF 


Ammran  §>tram  Nmttgatum 


BY 


H.  MORRISON 

M 


YORK 

W.    F.    SAMETZ    <fc    CO.,     INC. 
1903 


COPYRIGHT.  1.903.  BY  JOHN  H.  MORRISON. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I.                                                                                                          PAGB 
Experimental   Stage    5 

CHAPTER  II. 

Hudson  River    46 

Hudson  River  Towns   147 

CHAPTER  III. 

New  Jersey 167 

Delaware  River  184 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Western  Rivers  190 

CHAPTER  V. 

Long  Island  Sound 

Providence  and  Stonington  Lines  265 

Fall  River  Line 309 

New  London  and  Norwich  Lines 327 

New  Haven,  Conn 337 

Hartford,  Conn. 350 

Bridgeport,  Conn : 354 

North  Shore  of  Long  Island  358 

Harlem  and  Morrisania  363 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Lake  Erie  and  Lake  Ontario  366 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Coast  of  Maine   386 

Boston,  Mass 399 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Ocean  Steamship  Lines 406 

Coastwise  Steamship  Lines   434 

New  York  and  Philadelphia  Outside  Lines  505 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Steam  Ferry  Boats  and  Companies  515 

Tow  Boats  539 

CHAPTER  X. 

High  Speed 545 

Distances 569 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Lighthouses,  Lightships,  and  Fog  Signals  572 

Steamboat  Inspection  Service 591 

Life-Saving  Service  616 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Hell  Gate— Steam  Calliope  or  Organ  623 


PREFACE. 

|T  is  not  intended  in  this  work  to  give  the  history 
of  every  steam  vessel  built  in  the  United  States, 
or  of  every  line  of  steam  vessels,  for  that  would 
be  an  impossibility,  as  many  of  the  records  of 
the  earlier  vessels,  as  well  as  of  the  lines,  are  no 
longer  in  existence.  Besides,  many  of  the  vessels  have  had  no 
historical  interest  attached  to  them,  being  merely  a  duplicator 
in  general  of  the  vessels  of  the  period:  this  could  also  be  said 
of  many  vessels  of  a  later  date.  The  vessels  named  or  his- 
torically noted  are  those  that  were  a  radical  change  either 
in  hull  or  their  machinery  in  their  day,  or  were  prominently 
connected  with  some  of  the  lines  that  have  come  into  notice 
during  the  development  of  our  steam  navigation  interests,  or 
had  a  reputation  for  high  speed. 

There  has  been  every  endeavor  made  to  obtain  accuracy 
in  all  matters  of  detail  given  in  these  pages,  original  papers 
being  alwrays  consulted  when  such  were  to  be  obtained.  But 
with  all  the  care  taken,  perfection  must  not  be  expected  in 
every  line  covering  such  a  period  of  time,  and  especially  when 
details  were  not  always  given  the  best  of  care  for  preservation. 
It  is  through  private  papers  treating  on  these  subjects  under 
early  dates  that  the  history  has  been  connected  together  over 
this  brief  space  of  time.  It  is  only  since  1870  that  we  have 
had  marine  and  engineering  journals  devoted  more  exclusively 
to  these  subjects. 

The  rise  and  progress  of  American  steam  navigation  has 
been  a  thing  of  very  gradual  development.  Beginning  with 
the  experiments  of  John  Fitch,  who  propelled  his  boat  with 
vertically  hung  oars  or  paddles,  we  trace  the  trials  made  by 
Stevens  and  Livingston  over  a  period  of  several  years,  with 
Oliver  Evans,  James  Eumsey  and  others  also  trying  to  solve 
the  problem  of  a  successful  steam  vessel.  But  none  of  them 
were  able  to  strike  the  happy  combination  of  forces.  That 
was  left  to  Robert  Fulton.  After  he  had  demonstrated  the 
success  of  his  plans  through  the  building  of  the  "Clermont," 
there  wrere  several  who  laid  claims  to  parts  of  the  combination 
used  by  him,  and  who  endeavored  to  deprive  him  and  those 
associated  with  him  of  the  benefits  of  the  enterprise,  and  he 


4  PREFACE. 

was  engaged  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1815,  in  law-suits 
to  maintain  the  rights  given  him  and  others  by  the  legislature 
of  the  State  of  New  York.  It  was  not  until  1824  that  the 
United  States  Supreme  Court  decided  adversely  to  Fulton's 
associates  upon  the  question  of  exclusive  privilege. 

After  the  decision  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court 
a  field  was  open  for  commercial  enterprise  that  was  taken 
advantage  of,  and  the  building  of  steam  vessels  for  river 
service  especially  began  to  show  a  marked  increase.  Many 
improvements  made  at  that  time,  though  crude  in  their  orig- 
inal form,  were  but  the  beginning  of  a  more  perfect  and 
finished  structure  in  later  years. 

After  passing  through  many  years  with  wooden-hull 
vessels,  whose  form,  either  for  ocean  or  river  service,  could 
not  be  excelled  by  any  nation  of  shipbuilders,  we  came  in 
about  1870  to  the  period  of  a  radical  change  from  wooden 
to  iron  hulls — not  but  that  many  iron-hull  vessels  had  been 
built  in  the  United  States  prior  to  this  date — but  a  more 
general  adoption  of  iron  for  the  purpose,  and  the  substitution 
of  the  screw  propeller  for  the  side  wheel,  with  the  adoption 
of  the  compound  engine  for  the  simple  engine  in  screw  vessels. 
About  fifteen  years  ago  steel  hulls  and  triple-expansion 
engines  were  introduced. 

The  furnishing  and  fitting  of  our  steam  vessels  for  pas- 
senger service  has  kept  pace  with  the  progress  in  the  other 
departments  of  the  vessel,  so  that  now  our  passenger  steam- 
boats are  really  floating  palaces.  There  will  no  doubt  be 
marked  advances  along  the  same  lines  in  the  future,  for  the 
American  public  are  never  content  to  rest  under  present  con- 
ditions. 

The  author  fully  appreciates  the  fact  that  in  many  in- 
stances he  is  running  counter  to  generally  accepted  traditions 
of  American  steam  navigation,  but  believes  the  facts  warrant 
the  conclusions  arrived  at. 

The  author  desires  to  extend  his  grateful  acknowledg- 
ment to  his  contributors  for  material  placed  at  his  service, 
as  well  as  for  their  valued  counsel.  And  to  the  Nautical 
Gazette,  of  New  York,  for  the  use  of  many  of  their  cuts. 

Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

J.  H.  MORRISON. 


CHAPTER  I. 
EXPERIMENTAL   STAGE. 

[HE  first  vessel  moved  by  the  power  of  steain  on 
the  waters  of  the  United  States  was  the  inven- 
tion of  John  Fitch,  of  Connecticut.  At  this 
time  the  manufacturing  interests  of  the  country, 
small  as  they  were,  cannot  be  said  to  have  been 
in  a  very  healthy  condition,  as  the  nation  had  but  three 
years  before  emerged  from  a  long  and  very  exhaustive  war 
with  Great  Britain,  leaving  them  comparatively  poor  and  with 
a  heavy  public  debt  to  labor  under.  It  was  at  about  this 
period  that  several  attempts  were  made  in  the  United  States 
to  apply  the  steam  engine  to  the  propulsion  of  a  vessel. 
There  was  not  at  this  early  date  a  steam  engine  in  use  for 
any  practical  purpose  in  this  country,  unless  it  was  the 
atmospheric  engine  built  by  Josiah  Hornblower  for  the 
Schuyler  Copper  Mines,  in  New  Jersey,  many  years  before 
Fitch's  invention.  There  is  thought  to  have  been  one  of 
these  atmospheric  engines  in  New  England  at  a  date  prior  to 
the  Revolutionary  War. 

Fitch's  vessel  is  described  by  himself  in  a  letter  to  the 
Columbian  Magazine  of  December  8th,  1786  : — •"  The  reason 
of  my  so  long  deferring  to  give  you  a  description  of  the 
steamboat  has  been  in  some  measure  owing  to  the  compli- 
cation of  the  works,  and  an  apprehension  that  a  number  of 
drafts  would  be  necessary  in  order  to  show  the  powers  of 
the  machine  as  clearly  as  you  would  wish.  But  as  I  have 
not  been  able  to  hand  you  herewith  such  drafts,  I  can  only 
give  you  the  general  principles.  It  is,  in  several  parts,  similar 
to  the  late  improved  steam  engines  in  Europe,  though  there 
are  some  alterations.  Our  cylinder  is  to  be  horizontal,  and 
the  steam  to  work  with  equal  force  at  each  end.  The  mode 
by  -which  we  obtain  what  I  take  the  liberty  of  terming  a 
vacuum  is,  we  believe,  entirely  new,  as  is  also  the  method 
of  letting  the  water  into  it  and  throwing  it  off  against  the 


6  EXPERIMENTAL   STAGE. 

atmosphere  without  any  friction.  It  is  expected  that  the 
engine,  which  is  a  twelve-inch  cylinder,  will  move  with  a 
clear  force  of  eleven  or  twelve  hundred  weight,  after  the 
frictions  are  deducted.  This  force  is  to  act  against  a  wheel 
of  eighteen  inches  diameter.  The  piston  is  to  move  about 
three  feet,  and  each  vibration  of  the  piston  gives  the  axis 
about  forty  revolutions.  Each  revolution  of  the  axis  moves 
twelve  oars  or  paddles  five  and  a  half  feet,  wrhich  work 
perpendicularly  and  are  represented  by  the  stroke  of  the 
paddle  of  a  canoe.  As  six  of  the  paddles  are  raised  from  the 
water  six  more  are  entered,  and  the  two  sets  of  paddles  make 
their  strokes  about  eleven  feet  in  each  revolution.  The 
cranks  of  the  axis  act  upon  the  paddles  about  one-third  of 
their  length  from  the  lever  end,  on  which  part  of  the  oar  the 
whole  force  of  the  axis  is  applied.  Our  engine  is  placed  in 
the  boat  about  one-third  from  the  stern,  and  both  the  action 
and  reaction  turn  the  wheel  the  same  way." 

This  boat  was  built  by  Brooks  &  Wilson,  of  Philadelphia, 
was  45  feet  long  and  12  feet  beam,  and  was  given  a  trial  on 
August  22d,  1787,  but  was  not  able  to  make  more  than  three 
miles  an  hour.  In  the  same  year,  another  and  larger  boat 
was  constructed,  being  60  feet  long  and  8  feet  beam  and  4 
feet  deep,  and  fitted  with  some  of  the  machinery  from  the 
first  boat  The  oars  of  the  old  boat  were  dispensed  with  in 
the  fitting  of  the  new  boat,  the  propelling  apparatus  being  a 
system  of  paddles  which  were  suspended  from  the  upper  ends 
of  their  shafts,  and  moved  by  a  series  of  cranks,  one  to  each, 
taking  hold  at  the  middle  and  giving  them  almost  exactly  the 
motion  which  is  imparted  by  the  Indian  to  his  paddle  when 
in  his  canoe.  During  the  summer  of  1788  they  made  a  trip 
from  Philadelphia  to  Burlington,  on  the  Delaware  River,  at 
a  slightly  increased  velocity  over  the  former  vessel,  in  three 
hours  and  twentv  minutes.  This  vessel  was  named  "Perse- 


verance. 


"  These  may  certify  that  the  subscriber  has  frequent- 
ly seen  Mr.  Fitch's  steam  boat,  which,  with  great  labor 
and  perseverance,  he  has  at  length  completed:  and  has 
likewise  been  on  board  when  the  boat  was  worked  against 
both  wind  and  tide,  with  a  very  considerable  degree  of 


EXPERIMENTAL    STAGE.  7 

velocity  by  the  force  of  steam  only.  Mr.  Fitch's  merit 
in  constructing  a  good  steam  engine,  and  applying  it  to 
so  useful  a  purpose,  will  no  doubt  meet  with  the  en- 
couragement he  so  justly  deserves  from  the  generosity  of 
his  countrymen,  especially  those  who  wish  to  promote 
every  improvement  of  the  useful  arts  in  America. 
"  Philadelphia,  Dec.  12th,  1787. 

"  DAVID  RITTENHOUSE." 

"  Having  also  seen  the  boat  urged  by  the  force  of 
steam,  and  having  been  on  board  of  it  when  in  motion,  T 
concur  in  the  above  opinion  of  Mr.  Fitch's  merits. 

"JOHN  EWING." 

"  From  the  well-known  force  of  steam,  I  was  one  of 
the  first  of  those  who  encouraged  Mr.  Fitch  to  reduce  his 
theory  of  a  steamboat  to  practice,  in  which  he  has  suc- 
ceeded far  beyond  my  expectations. 

"I  am  now  fully  of  opinion  that  steamboats  may  be 
made  to  answer  valuable  purposes  in  facilitating  the 
internal  navigation  of  the  United  States:  and  that  Mr. 
Fitch  has  great  merit  in  applying  a  steam  engine  to  so 
valuable  a  purpose,  and  entitled  to  every  encouragement 
from  his  country  and  countrymen. 

"  Philadelphia,  Dec.  13th,  1787. 

"  ANDREW  ELLICOTT." 

In  1789  another  boat  was  built  and  fitted  with  more 
power  than  the  previous  ones  had  been,  and  during  that  year 
and  that  of  1790  it  was  tried  on  the  Delaware  River,  and 
driven  at  the  rate  of  eight  miles  an  hour.  This  was  named 
the  "Thornton." 

An  account  of  some  of  the  difficulties  experienced  by 
John  Fitch  and  those  interested  with  him  in  these  experi- 
ments may  be  gathered  in  part  from  an  article  written  by 
William  Thornton,  in  October,  1815,  entitled,  "A  Short  Ac- 
count of  the  Origin  of  Steamboats,  by  Dr.  Thornton,  Director 
of  the  Patent  Office,  Washington,  D.  0."  :  "  Finding  that 
Mr.  Robert  Fulton,  whose  genius  and  talents  I  highly  respect, 
has  been  by  some  considered  as  the  inventor  of  the  steamboat, 


8  EXPERIMENTAL   STAGE. 

I  think  it  a  duty  to  the  memory  of  the  late  John  Fitch  to  set 
forth,  with  as  much  brevity  as  possible,  the  fallacy  of  this 
opinion,  and  to  show,  moreover,  that  if  Mr.  Fulton  has  any 
claim  whatever  to  originality  in  his  steamboat,  it  must  be 
exceedingly  limited. 

"In  the  year  1787  the  late  John  Fitch  applied  for  and 
obtained  a  patent  for  the  application  of  steam  to  navigation 
in  the  States  of  Pennsylvania,  New  York,  New  Jersey,  Dela- 
ware, etc.,  and  soon  after,  the  late  James  Eumsey,  conceiving 
he  had  made  some  discoveries  in  perfecting  the  same,  applied 
to  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  for  a  patent;  but  a  company 
formed  by  John  Fitch  under  his  State  patents,  of  which  the 
author  of  this  was  one  of  the  principal  shareholders,  conceiv- 
ing that  the  patent  of  Fitch  was  not  for  any  peculiar  mode 
of  applying  steam  to  navigation,  but  that  it  extended  to  all 
known  modes  of  propelling  boats  and  vessels,  contested  before 
the  Assembly  of  Pennsylvania,  and  also  before  the  Assembly 
of  Delaware,  the  mode  proposed  by  Mr.  Rumsey,  and  contend- 
ed that  the  mode  he  proposed,  viz.:  by  drawing  up  the  water 
into  a  tube  and  forcing  the  same  water  out  at  the  stern  of  the 
vessel  or  boat,  which  was  derived  from  Dr.  Franklin's  works 
(the  Doctor  being  one  of  his  company),  was  a  mode  they 
(Fitch's  company)  had  a  right  to,  for  the  plan  was  originally 
published  in  Latin  about  fifty  years  before  in  the  works  of 
Bournelli  the  younger;  and  two  of  Fitch's  company  and  I 
appeared,  without  counsel,  and  pleaded  our  own  cause  in  the 
Assembly  of  Pennsylvania,  and,  after  a  week's  patient  hear- 
ing against  the  most  learned  counsel  of  Pennsylvania,  we 
obtained  a  decision  in  our  favor,  and  afterwards  also  in  Dela- 
ware. We  believed  and  contended  that  our  claim  of  propel- 
ling boats  by  steam  included  all  the  modes  of  propelling 
vessels  and  boats  then  known,  and  that  the  patent  was  for 
the  application  of  steam  as  an  agent  to  the  propelling  powers: 
and  the  decisions  of  the  legislatures  were  in  favor  of  this 
construction,  as  Mr.  Rumsey's  company  were  excluded  from 
the  right  of  using  steamboats  on  any  principle. 

"  We  worked  incessantly  at  the  boat  to  bring  it  to  per- 
fection, and  some  account  of  our  labors  may  be  seen  in  the 
"  Travels  of  Brissot  de  Warville  in  the  United  States" ;  and 
under  the  disadvantages  of  never  having  seen  a  steam  engine 


EXPERIMENTAL   STAGE.  9 

on  the  principles  contemplated,  and  of  not  having  a  single 
engineer  in  our  company  or  pay,  we  made  engineers  of  com- 
mon blacksmiths,  and  after  expending  many  thousand  dollars, 
the  boat  did  not  exceed  three  miles  an  hour.  Finding  great 
unwillingness  in  many  to  proceed,  I  proposed  to  the  company 
to  give  up  to  any  one  the  one-half  of  my  shares  who  would, 
at  his  own  expense,  make  a  boat  go  at  the  rate  of  eight  miles 
an  hour,  in  dead  water,  in  eighteen  months,  or  forfeit  all  the 
expenditures  on  failing:  or,  I  would  engage  with  any  others 
to  accept  these  terms.  Each  relinquished  one-half  his  shares, 
making  the  forty  shares  eighty,  and  holding  only  as  many  of 
the  new  shares  as  he  held  of  the  old  ones,  and  then  subscribed 
as  far  as  he  thought  proper  to  enter  on  the  terms,  by  which 
many  relinquished  one-half.  I  was  among  the  number  who 
proceeded,  and  in  less  than  twelve  months  we  were  ready  for 
the  experiment.  The  day  was  appointed  and  the  experiment 
made  in  the  following  manner:  A  mile  was  measured  in 
Front  or  Water  street,  Philadelphia,  and  the  bounds  projected 
.it  right  angles  as  exactly  as  could  be  to  the  wharfs,  where  a 
flag  was  placed  at  each  end,  and  also  a  stop-watch.  The 
boat  was  ordered  under  way  at  dead  water,  or  when  the  tide 
was  found  to  be  without  movement:  as  the  boat  passed  one 
flag,  it  was  struck,  and  at  the  same  instant  the  watches  were 
set  off:  as  the  boat  reached  the  other  flag,  it  was  also  struck 
and  the  watches  instantly  stopped.  Every  precaution  was 
taken  before  witnesses;  the  time  was  shown  to  all,  the  experi- 
ment declared  to  be  fairly  made,  and  the  boat  was  found  to 
go  at  the  rate  of  eight  miles  per  hour,  or  one  mile  within  the 
eighth  of  an  hour;  on  which  the  shares  were  signed  over  with 
great  satisfaction  by  the  rest  of  the  company.  It  afterwards 
went  eighty  miles  in  one  day. 

"  The  Governor  and  Council  of  Pennsylvania  were  so 
highly  gratified  with  our  labors  that,  without  their  intentions 
being  previously  known  to  us,  Governor  Mifflin,  attended  by 
the  Council  in  procession,  presented  to  the  company  and 
placed  in  the  boat  a  superb  silk  flag,  prepared  expressly,  and 
containing  the  arms  of  Pennsylvania;  and  this  flag  we  pos- 
sessed till  Mr.  Fitch  was  sent  to  France  by  the  company,  at 
the  request  of  Aaron  Vail,  Esq.,  our  Consul  at  Lorient,  who, 
being  one  of  the  company,  was  solicitous  to  have  steamboats 


10  EXPERIMENTAL    STAGE. 

built  in  France.  John  Fitch  took  the  flag,  unknown  to  the 
company,  and  presented  it  to  the  National  Convention.  Mr. 
Vail,  finding  the  workmen  all  put  into  requisition,  and  that 
none  could  be  obtained  to  build  the  boats,  paid  the  expenses 
of  Mr.  Fitch,  who  returned  to  the  United  States;  and  Mr.  Vail 
afterwards  subjected  to  the  examination  of  Mr.  Fulton,  when 
in  France,  the  papers  and  designs  of  the  steamboat  apper- 
taining to  the  company." 

In  March,  1786,  Fitch  received  a  grant  from  the  legis- 
lature of  New  Jersey,  and  in  March,  1787,  from  the  legislature 
of  New  York,  and  about  the  same  time  from  the  legislatures 
of  the  States  of  Pennsylvania,  Delaware,  and  Virginia,  for 
fourteen  years,  for  an  "exclusive  right  to  the  use  of  fire  and 
steam  to  navigation." 

On  June  22d,  1790,  Fitch  applied  for  a  patent  for  forcing 
a  column  of  air  through  a  trunk  or  trunks  filled  with  water, 
by  the  force  of  steam;  for  forcing  a  column  of  air  through  a 
trunk  or  trunks  out  at  the- stern  with  bow  valves  closed  by 
the  force  of  steam;  and  for  applying  the  force  of  steam  to 
cranks  and  paddles  for  propelling  a  vessel  through  the  water, 
which  patent  was  granted  August  26th,  17.91. 

v^  Improvement  was  suggested  in  almost  every  experiment, 
which  occasioned  him  to  make  such  frequent  drafts  for  funds 
upon  the  company  that  their  patience  became  exhausted,  and 
the  members  despairing  of  final  success,  and  being  probably 
influenced  'by  the  popular  want  of  confidence  in  the  project, 
refused  to  advance  any  more  money,  and  gradually  they  with- 
drew from  the  enterprise.  The  one  Fitch  most  regretted  to 
have  withdraw  his  support  was  a  watch  and  clock  maker  in 
Philadelphia,  by  the  name  of  Voight,  who  had  been  of  great 
assistance  to  him  in  his  mechanical  difficulties.  The  debts 
incurred  by  him  on  account  of  repairs  for  the  boat,  his  inabil- 
ity to  discharge  them  and  to  obtain  the  means  to  proceed  with 
his  experiments,  obliged  him  finally  to  abandon  the  whole 
enterprise,  after  years  spent  in  the  greatest  anxiety  for  its 
success  and  determination  to  bring  it  to  a  successful  issue. 
His  genius  had  to  contend  with  'his  peculiar  disposition 
and  intemperate  habits.  He  was  ever  groping  in  the  dark, 
urged  on  by  his  impulses,  and  this  subjected  him  to  many 
disappointments.  He  accomplished  more  in  propelling  his 


EXPERIMENTAL   STAGE.  11 

boat,  crude  as  it  was  in  almost  every  particular,  than 
had  ever  been  done  before.  But  he  was  like  many  who 
followed  him  while  trying  to  work  out  the  problem,  he 
fell  short  of  introducing  to  the  world  a  practicable  mode 
of  navigation  by  steam.  In  1796  he  made  an  experiment 
on  a  small  body  of  water  in  New  York  City,  known  then 
as  the  Collect  Pond,  in  the  vicinity  of  where  the  Tombs 
now  stands  in  Centre  street.  This  body  of  water  extended 
from  where  Pearl  street  now  is  to  about  White  street,  with 
Elm  street  on  the  west  and  what  was  known  as  Orange  street 
on  the  east.  There  was  an  outlet  for  it  both  to  the  Hudson 
River  by  a  course  along  where  Canal  street  now  lies,  as  well 
as  by  the  East  River,  in  the  vicinity  of  Peck  Slip.  His  experi- 
ments were  here  conducted  in  a  common  yawl  boat,  fitted 
with  very  crude  machinery,  and  it  is  claimed  that  he  made 
use  of  both  sidewheels  as  well  as  a  propeller  in  the  stern  of 
the  boat,  for  propulsion  in  these  experiments.  But  nothing 
appears  to  have  been  done  but  make  several  trials,  and  then 
the  boat  was  laid  aside. 

This  man  of  misfortune,  after  spending  years  in  poverty 
and  distress,  took  up  his  residence  at  Bardstown,  Ky.,  where 
he  died,  about  July  1st,  1798,  from  suicide. 

In  a  collection  of  pamphlets  on  the  steamboat  case  of 
1815,  there  is  a  memorandum  regarding  John  Fitch,  by  John 
C.  Ward,  who  was  related  to  Daniel  Dod :  "  A  person  named 
Moore,  with  whom  the  writer  formed  an  acquaintance  in 
Norfolk,  Va.,  in  1817,  was  personally  acquainted  with  John 
Fitch,  and  described  him  as  a  visionary  and  reckless  man, 
originally  bred  to  the  trade  of  watchmaker,  fond  of  mechanics, 
dabbling  in  many  new  projects,  and  consequently  remaining 
poor." 

^  James  Rumsey,  a  native  of  Maryland,  and  a  strong  com- 
petitor of  John  Fitch  in  the  experimental  stage  of  steam  navi- 
gation, constructed,  in  1784,  a  boat  that  was  propelled  by 
cranks  and  a  series  of  "  setting  poles."  This  vessel  was  exhi- 
bited before  General  Washington,  at  Bath,  Va.,  in  September, 
1784;  but  the  project  was  soon  abandoned.  In  1787  he  con- 
structed a  boat  about  fifty  feet  long,  that  was  propelled  by 
admitting  water  through  a  trunk  on  the  keelson  of  the  vessel, 
and  by  means  of  a  steam  pump  discharging  it  at  the  stern. 


12  EXPERIMENTAL   STAGE. 

This  means  of  propelling  a  vessel  has  been  of  later  years 
known  as  hydraulic  propulsion,  and  has  not  proved  a  howling 
success  in  any  regard,  except  for  large  expenditures  of  money. 
This  boat  of  Rumsey's  was  never  put  to  any  practical  use. 
Leaving  the  United  States  to  his  opponent,  John  Fitch,  whose 
patents  and  privileges  on  steam  navigation  in  the  several 
States  limited  Rumsey's  field  of  action,  he  sailed  for  London, 
where  he  built  another  vessel,  but  he  died  before  its  trial  in 
1793.  A  controversy  was  carried  on  between  Rumsey  and 
Fitch,  in  1788,  for  the  honor  of  the  first  discovery  of  the 
power  of  steam  as  applied  to  navigation.  The  disputed  point 
appears  to  have  been  whether  the  first  boat  of  Rumsey's  was 
operated  by  steam  or  not.  His  interests  while  in  Europe 
were  in  the  care  of  the  Rumesian  Society  of  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
The  debate  on  the  subject  by  the  friends  of  the  rival  claimants 
has  not  been  settled  even  to  this  day,  as  we  find  every  few 
years  some  enthusiastic  follower  of  one  or  the  other  side 
coming  forward  with  "newrly  discovered  evidence"  to  start 
the  blaze  of  controversy  on  the  subject  anew.  In  this  dis- 
cussion between  Fitch  and  Rumsey  we  find  several  who  came 
forward  and  entered  their  claim  to  "having  thought  of"  the 
subject  of  a  steam  engine  prior  to  either  of  the  former,  and 
some  had  even  ventured  so  far  as  to  make  drawings  of  a 
steam  engine.  But  most  of  them  only  "thought  of  it,"  and 
that  was  as  far  as  they  got.  They  may  have  been  cautious 
about  bringing  their  advanced  mechanical  ideas  to  public 
notice,  for  fear  of  being  robbed  of  their  valuable  discoveries. 

To  Oliver  Evans  belongs  the  credit  of  the  first  effective 
application  of  the  high-pressure  steam  engine.  It  was  while 
as  an  apprentice  to  a  wheelwright,  about  1772,  that  his  atten- 
tion was  first  called  to  the  power  of  steam  by  an  experiment 
that  was  made  for  amusement  by  some  of  his  neighbors'  sons, 
in  filling  a  gun  barrel  with  about  a  gill  of  water  thai:  was 
rammed  down  with  a  tight  wad,  having  previously  closed  the 
fuse  opening,  after  which  they  placed  the  breech  end  in  the 
fire,  when  it  soon  discharged  itself  with  a  loud  report.  This 
experiment  brought  to  his  mind  that  here  was  the  means  of 
propelling  a  wagon  independent  of  animal  power.  He  made 
many  trials  and  gave  a  great  deal  of  time  to  study  and  thought 
on  the  subject,  but  the  results  gave  varying  success  for  sev- 


EXPERIMENTAL    STAGE.  13 

eral  years.  In  1786  he  petitioned  the  legislature  of  Pennsyl- 
vania for  the  exclusive  right  to  use  his  improvements  in  flour 
mills,  as  well  as  steam  wagons,  in  that  State.  The  latter 
seems  to  have  been  his  hobby,  and  he  was  considered  to  have 
the  "steam  mania"  of  those  days.  In  the  same  year  he  en- 
deavored to  interest  some  parties  in  his  steam  engine  for  the 
purposes  of  navigation,  but  to  no  purpose.  It  was  not  until 
1801  that  he  completed  a  small  engine  having  a  6-inch  cylin- 
der and  18-inch  stroke,  costing  him  when  he  had  completed 
his  experiments  several  hundred  dollars.  This  engine  he 
used  to  grind  plaster,  and  afterwards  sawed  marble,  doing  its 
worl^  successfully. 

In  the  year  1802,  Captain  James  McKeever,  U.  S.  N.,  of 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  and  Louis  Valcourt,  built  a  vessel  in  their 
joint  interests,  of  80-feet  keel  and  18-feet  beam,  in  Kentucky, 
that  was  floated  to  New  Orleans,  and  there  fitted  with  an 
engine  and  boiler  built  by  Oliver  Evans.  The  cylinder  of 
the  engine  was  9  inches  diameter  and  36  inches  stroke,  and 
boiler  of  the  flue  type  of  42  inches  diameter.  The  river  having 
fallen  so  much  before  the  completion  of  the  vessel  as  to  leave 
her  high  and  dry,  and  the  river  not  likely  to  rise  sufficiently  to 
float  her  for  six  months,  the  engine  and  boiler,  etc.,  were  taken  ^  * 
out  and  set  up  in  a  saw-mill,  where  it  operated  until  the  mill  Of 
was  destroyed  by  fire.  But  for  one  of  those  unfortunate  acci- 
dents which  so  often  defeat  the  best-laid  plans,  Oliver  Evans  ^  J  ij. 
would  no  doubt  have  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  one  of  his 
steam  engines  in  successful  operation  on  a  steam  vessel  pre- 
vious to  those  on  the  Hudson  River.  Mr.  Stackhouse,  who 
subsequently  carried  on  the  building  of  steam  engines  at 
Pittsburg,  Pa.,  was  one  of  the  mechanics  sent  to  New  Orleans 
to  erect  the  engine  in  the  vessel.N 

In  1804  he  constructed,  for  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  a 
machine  for  dredging  the  slips  of  the  city.  The  machinery 
was  placed  on  a  large  scow,  30  feet  long  by  12  feet  beam,  with 
a  steam  engine  5  inches  diameter  of  cylinder  by  19  inches 
stroke,  operating  the  machinery.  When  the  boat  and  ma- 
chinery were  completed  at  the  shop  in  Philadelphia,  it  fur- 
nished its  own  transportation  to  the  Schuylkill  River,  wheels 
and  axles  having  temporarily  been  fitted  for  the  occasion, 
and  when  it  was  launched,  a  stern  wheel  was  fitted,  and  with 


14  EXPERIMENTAL    STAGE. 

its  own  power  was  driven  down  the  Schuylkill  to  the  Delaware 
River,  and  up  the  latter  river,  in  all  some  fourteen  or  fifteen 
miles,  thus  clearly  demonstrating  the  practicability  of  steam- 
boats. In  a  patent  suit  in  1813,  he  says,  regarding  this 
dredge  boat:  "  But  in  this  I  was  sadly  disappointed,  for  they 
made  no  allowance  for  the  disproportion  of  the  engine  to  its 
great  load,  nor  for  the  temporary  manner  in  which  the  ma- 
chinery was  fixed,  nor  the  great  friction,  ill  form  of  the  boat, 
etc.,  but  supposed  it  was  the  utmost  I  could  do.  Had  I  been 
patronized,  as  Mr.  Fuiton  was,  by  the  State  of  New  York, 
with  the  exclusive  right  for  thirty  years,  and  by  a  Mr.  Living- 
ston with  thirty  thousand  dollars,  to  make  the  experiment,  I 
might  have  showed  steamboats  in  full  operation  before  Mr. 
Fulton  began  his  boat,  which  was  finished  in  1807,  twenty 
years  after  I  petitioned  the  legislature  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
three  years  after  the  mentioned  experiment." 

^His  son  George  Evans  opened  a  shop  in  Pittsburg,  Pa., 
in  1812^tthis  was  the  next  year  after  Fulton  built  the  "  New 
Orleans  " — and,  in  1816,  built  high-pressure  engines  for  two 
western  river  boats — the  "  Franklin  "  and  the  "  Oliver  Evans," 

The  steamboats  "Etna"  and  the  "Pennsylvania,"  that 
run  on  the  Delaware  River  about  1820,  were  each  fitted  with 
Evans  high-pressure  engines.  Rush  and  Muhlenberg  were  his 
successors  in  business,  and  up  till  about  1840  were  at  the  old 
works. 

Oliver  Evans  was  also  the  first  who  made  use  of  the 
cylindrical-flue  steam  boiler. 

Elijah  Ormsbee,  of  Providence,  R.  L,  about  1792,  is  said 
to  have  constructed  a  small  engine  that  was  placed  in  a  boat 
and  operated  what  were  called  goose-foot  paddles,  but  after 
a  few  trials  the  affair  was  laid  aside. 

In  March,  1798,  Robert  R.  Livingston,  by  an  Act  of  the 
New  York  legislature  repealing  an  Act  of  1787,  "  granting  to 
John  Fitch  the  sole  right  and  advantage  of  making  and  em- 
ploying the  steamboat  by  him  lately  invented,"  was  granted 
exclusive  privilege  of  navigating  the  waters  of  the  State  with 
a  vessel  propelled  by  steam. 

Livingston  was  a  man  of  wealth  as  well  as  an  inventor. 
Early  in  1798  he  was  associated  with  Nicholas  J.  Roosevelt 


EXPERIMENTAL    STAGE.  15 

and  John  Stevens,  of  Hoboken,  N.  J.,  building  a  boat  on  what 
was  considered  new  principles,  the  engine  for  which  was 
constructed  by  Roosevelt,  and  the  propelling  apparatus  from 
designs  by  Livingston,  which  consisted  of  wheels  with  verti- 
cal axis,  submerged  at  the  stern.  This  vessel  was  ready  for 
a  trial  during  the  summer  of  that  year,  but  it  failed  to  answer 
the  expectations  of  its  designers,  the  best  speed  attained 
being  about  three  miles  per  hour.  Other  experiments  were 
tried,  one  of  which  was  in  1799  from  a  plan  of  John  Stevens, 
of  a  set  of  paddles  in  the  stern,  with  a  crank  motion,  driving 
the  boat  forward  as  they  rise  and  fall.  This  device  of  pro- 
pelling the  vessel  was  so  severe  upon  the  hull  as  to  make  it 
unfit  for  further  experiments,  and  that  plan  was  laid  aside. 
Livingston  and  Stevens  still  continued  their  experiments,  but 
with  all  the  money  at  their  command,  did  not  find  the  simple 
propelling  agency  to  bring  them  success.  Their  experiments 
came  to  an  end  for  a  time  by  the  appointment  of  Robert  R. 
Livingston  as  Minister  to  France  in  the  fall  of  1800  by  Presi- 
dent Jefferson. 

The  time  allowed  for  exhibiting  the  proof  required 
by  the  Act  of  1798  having  expired  without  its  produc- 
tion, the  legislature,  on  the  29th  of  March,  1799,  on  the 
petition  of  Nicholas  J.  Roosevelt,  representing  that  he,  with  his 
associates,  "had  expended  a  very  considerable  sum  of  money  in 
endeavoring  to  effect  the  objects  of  the  said  Act,  but  that, 
from  various  unavoidable  accidents,  he  and  his  associates  had 
not  been  able  to  comply  with  the  conditions  therein  con- 
tained," and  "praying  that  no  advantage  may  be  taken  of 
their  non-compliance  with  the  conditions  in  the  said  law," 
passed  an  Act  by  which  the  law  of  1798  was  continued  in 
force  for  twenty  years  from  the  following  June  1st,  provided 
that  the  several  conditions  were  complied  with,  as  in  the  Act 
of  1798,  within  two  years  of  June  1st,  1799.  Nothing  appears 
to  have  been  accomplished  under  this  Act. 

Livingston,  while  in  France,  met  Robert  Fulton,  who  had 
been  engaged  in  experiments  of  steam  navigation,  among 
other  things,  while  there,  and  in  1802-3  carried  on  several 
experiments  on  the  River  Seine,  and  in  the  summer  of  the 
latter  year,  made  a  trial  with  a  boat  propelled  by  paddle- 
wheels,  which  showed,  with  improvement  in  the  engine,  they 


16  EXPERIMENTAL   STAGE. 

might  look  for  much  better  results,  although  they  had  not 
succeeded  in  obtaining  as  high  a  rate  of  speed  as  was  antici 
pated  on  this  trial. 

In  this  year  (1803)  Livingston  wrote  to  friends  in  New 
York  to  have  his  privileges  under  the  Act  of  1798  restored 
to  him  and  Fulton  for  twenty  years,  as  they  had  been  forfeited 
by  his  failure  to  comply  with  the  conditions  of  the  Act.  The 
restoration  of  his  privileges  for  twenty  years  was  granted  in 
an  Act  passed  April  5th,  1803,  giving  them  two  years  to  com- 
ply with  its  conditions,  which  were  practically  the  same  as 
in  the  Act  of  1798. 

So  impressed  were  Livingston  and  Fulton  with  the  results 
of  their  experiments  in  France,  that,  in  1804,  the  latter  made 
drawings  of  certain  parts  of  a  steam  engine,  which  he  gave 
to  Boulton  and  Watt,  of  Birmingham,  England,  to  make  for 
them,  with  directions  when  they  were  completed  to  ship  them 
to  him  at  New  York.  Fulton  was  engaged  at  this  time  and 
up  to  late  in  1806,  in  experimenting  with  a  torpedo  for  sub- 
marine purposes,  which  he  endeavored  to  have  adopted  by 
England  and  by  France,  when  he  returned  home,  where  he 
arrived  in  December  of  that  year. 

The  time  for  fulfilling  the  conditions  of  the  Act  of  1803  by 
Livingston  and  Fulton  having  previously  expired,  without 
proof  of  their  ability  to  comply  with  its  requirements,  they 
made  a  further  application  for  another  extension,  which  was 
granted  them  in  an  Act  dated  April  5th,  1807,  for  the  space 
of  two  years  from  that  date.  This  made  the  second  extension 
of  time  granted  by  the  legislature  to  Livingston  since  the 
original  exclusive  privilege  in  1798. 

John  Stevens'  early  attempts  to  propel  a  vessel  by  the 
agency  of  the  steam  engine  appears  to  date  from  1789,  for 
in  February  of  that  year  it  is  found  that  he  laid  before  the 
legislature  a  petition  relative  to  a  steam  engine  to  be  placed 
on  board  a  vessel.  The  next  year,  he  laid  before  the  Commis- 
sioners for  the  Promotion  of  Useful  Arts  descriptions  of 
various  improvements  of  the  steam  engine,  among  others 
being  "A  mode  of  propelling  boats  by  steam"  :  "  The  cylinder 
lies  horizontally  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  and  near  to  each 
end  of  it  are  attached  vessels  somewhat  more  capacious  than 
the  cylinder  itself,  nearly  filled  with  water  or  oil.  Into  each 


EXPERIMENTAL    STAGE.  17 

of  these  vessels  the  steam  from  the  boiler  is  alternately  ad- 
mitted and  propels  the  water  or  oil  into  each  end  of  the 
cylinder,  and  by  this  means  the  piston  is  driven  backwards 
and  forward  by  the  action  of  the  water  or  oil  upon  it.  The 
piston  being  hollow,  is  made  of  the  same  specific  gravity  of 
the  water  or  oil.  The  rod  of  the  piston  has  a  number  of 
teeth  which  catch  in  the  teeth  of  a  small  wheel,  on  the  axis 
of  which  is  fixed  another  large  wheel,  the  teeth  of  which  catch 
on  each  side  into  the  teeth  of  two  rods  which  pass  through 
the  stern  of  the  boat,  to  the  ends  of  which  rods  floats  are 
fixed  which  operate  as  paddles  to  propel  the  boat  through  the 
water." 

In  1791,  Stevens  commenced  the  building  of  an  engine 
under  this  patent,  and  had  it  nearly  completed  when  he  was 
compelled  to  abandon  the  work,  as  the  mechanic  upon  whom 
he  relied  for  the  execution  of  the  work  became  unreliable 
from  intemperate  habits,  and  Stevens  was  not  able  to  obtain 
another  man  capable  of  carrying  forward  the  mechanical  part 
of  the  enterprise. 

Seven  years  appear  to  have  elapsed  before  John  Stevens 
takes  any  further  active  part  in  the  development  of  steam 
navigation,  and  this  time  it  is  with  Livingston  and  Roosevelt 
as  before  noted.  The  engine  for  this  vessel  was  constructed 
by  two  of  the  best  mechanics  in  the  country  at  this  time — 
Charles  Stoudinger  and  Smallman — the  latter  having  but  a 
short  time  before  been  employed  by  Watt  and  Boulton.  The 
patterns  for  this  engine  were  made  by  John  Hewitt,  the 
father  of  the  late  Hon.  Abram  S.  Hewitt,  ex-Mayor  of  New 
York  City.  The  engine  was  constructed,  after  their  plan,  at 
the  works  of  Nicholas  J.  Roosevelt,  at  Belleville,  on  the 
Passaic  River,  near  Newark,  N.  J.,  but  a  radical  defect  being 
found  in  its  construction,  it  was  laid  aside.  In  1802,  Stevens 
then  turned  his  attention  to  the  rotary  engine  in  operating  a 
screw  propeller,  but,  after  many  experiments,  finally  aban- 
doned that  project  for  the  time,  and  returned  again  to  the 
reciprocating  engine  in  his  experiments. 

The  experiments  of  John  Stevens  with  the  screw  pro- 
peller, although  the  latter  was  not  original  with  him,  began 
in  1802,  and  was  continued  until  some  time  in  1806.  He  made 
use  of  the  four-bladed  screw  propeller;  steam  at  a  high  pres- 


18  EXPERIMENTAL   STAGE. 

sure  for  those  days;  the  multi- tubular  boiler;  twin  screws;  and 
the  quick-moving  engine  connected  directly  to  the  propeller 
shaft.  There  were  no  tools  nor  competent  workmen  to  prop- 
erly construct  the  steam  engines  and  boilers  he  planned 
between  1802  and  1806,  so  success  became  impossible  under 
these  conditions.  It  will  be  noted  that  these  experiments 
ceased  just  prior  to  Fulton  commencing  the 'construction  of 
the  "Clermont,"  and  the  better  prospect  of  success  through 
the  use  of  the  paddle-wheel  caused  Stevens  to  adopt  that 
agent  in  his  later  experiments.  The  screw  propeller  was  not 
used  again  as  a  means  of  propulsion  until  the  "Robert  F. 
Stockton,"  built  in  England  by  John  Ericcson,  and  was 
brought  to  this  country  in  1839.  A  very  clear  history  of  these 
early  experiments  of  John  Stevens  was  given  in  a  pamphlet 
on  "  The  First  Steam  Screw  Propeller  Boats  to  Navigate  the 
Waters  of  Any  Country,"  issued  some  years  ago. 

A  very  good  idea  of  the  mechanical  knowledge  and  skill 
in  this  country  about  the  year  1800  may  be  derived  from  a 
report  made  in  July,  1801,  on  the  progress  making  in  the 
Philadelphia  pumping  engines. 

"  The  large  cylinder  is  cast  in  two  pieces  and  united  by 
copper,  the  joint  being  secured  externally  by  a  strong  iron 
band  of  cast  iron,  18  inches  broad  and  weighing  1,200  pds. 
7,500  pds.  of  iron  was  used  to  make  the  cylinder:  it  is  6%  ft. 
long  and  about  SS1/^  inches  in  the  bore.  About  %  of  an  inch 
was  first  to  be  cut  away.  Two  men  are  required;  one  almost 
lives  in  the  cylinder,  with  a  hammer  in  hand  to  keep  things  in 
order  and  attend  to  the  steelings;  the  other  attends  to  the 
frame  on  which  the  cylinder  rests,  which  is  moved  by  suitable 
machinery;  these  hands  are  relieved.  The  work  goes  on  day 
and  night.  One  man  is  also  employed  to  grind  the  steelings: 
the  work  only  stands  at  dinner  and  whilst  the  steelings  are 
being  changed,  which  requires  about  10  minutes  time,  and  in 
10  minutes  more  are  dull.  I  examined  the  same  and  found 
them  worn  y8  of  an  inch  in  that  time.  Three  steelings,  which 
are  about  3%  inch  on  the  edge  are  fixed  in  the  head  piece  at 
one  time:  the  head  piece  is  a  little  less  than  the  diameter  of  the 
cylinder  and  6  inches  thick,  secured  on  a  rod  of  iron  8-in. 
diameter,  which  forms  the  shaft  of  the  water  wheel.  The 
workmen  state  that  the  boring  was  commenced  on  the  9th  of 


EXPERIMENTAL    STAGE. 


19 


April  and  has  been  going  on  ever  since,  about  3  months,  and 
that  about  6  weeks  more  will  be  required  to  finish  it.  Eight 
or  ten  hands  are  employed  on  the  fire  box  of  the  boiler;  the 
wrought  plates  of  which  it  is  made  are  imported  from 
England,  about  38x32  in.;  that  made  in  this  country  is 
clumsy  stuff,  of  different  sizes,  the  largest  being  36x18  in." 

This  cylinder,  after  all  the  labor  expended  upon  it,  proved 
to  be  %-inch  larger  diameter  in  the  middle  of  its  length 
than  it  was  at  the  ends. 

"  CLERMONT." 

Robert  Fulton,  after  his  arrival  home  in  1806,  commenced 
work  on  the  hull  of  the  first  successful  steamboat  in  the  world, 
the  contractor  being  Charles  Brown,  of  New  York.  This  ves- 


NORTH   RIVER   STEAMBOAT   OF   CLERMONT. 


sel  was  named  the  "  North  River  Steamboat  of  Clerrnont." 
Charles  Brown's  shipyard  was  at  this  time  on  the  East  River, 
on  what  was  an  island  surrounded  by  salt  marshes,  which 
extended  from  about  the  present  Stanton  street  on  the  south 
to  Third  street  on  the  north,  and  by  Lewis  street  on  the  west, 
and  on  the  east  by  the  shore,  where  Mangin  street  now  is. 
This  was  Manhattan  Island. 


20  EXPERIMENTAL   STAGE. 

The  vessel  was  launched  late  in  the  spring  of  1807,  and  it 
was  not  until  the  following  August,  after  considerable  delay, 
that  the  vessel  was  ready  for  a  trial  trip.  Her  dimensions 
were  140  feet  long,  16  feet  beam,  and  7  feet  depth  of  hold, 
with  28  inches  draft  of  water.  She  was  fitted  with  Watt  & 
Bolten's  engine,  having  a  bell  crank  motion,  with  a  cylinder 
of  24  inches  diameter  and  4  feet  stroke  of  piston.  There  was 
one  copper  boiler  20  feet  long,  7  feet  diameter,  and  8  feet  wide. 
Water  wheels,  15  feet  diameter  and  48  inches  face;  and  main 
shaft  of  cast  iron,  4%  inches  diameter.  The  length  of  this 
vessel  has  been  given  by  some  writers  as  133  feet;  that  was 
probably  the  keel  length. 

The  original  enrollment  of  this  vessel  at  the  New  York 
Custom  House  cannot  be  found..  The  enrollment  of  May  14th, 
1808,  after  she  was  enlarged,  is  as  follows,  viz.: 

"No.  108. 

"Enrollment  in  conformity  to  an  Act  of  the  Congress 
of  the  United  States  of  America  entitled  'An  Act  for 
enrolling  and  licensing  ships  or  vessels  to  be  employed 
in  the  coasting  trade  and  fisheries,  and  for  regulating 
the  same.' 

"  Kobert  R.  Livingston,  of  Clermont, 
Columbia  County,  State  of  New  York, 
having  taken  and  subscribed  to  the  oath  required  by  the 
said  Act,  and  having  sworn  that  he,  together  with  Eobert 
Fulton,  of  the  City  of  New  York,  are  citizens  of  the 
United  States,  and  sole  owners  of  the  ship  or  vessel  called 
the  North  Eiver  Steamboat  of  Clermont,  whereof  Samuel 
Wiswall  is  at  present  master,  and  as  he  hath  sworn 
he  is  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  and  that  the  said  ship 
or  vessel  was  built  in  the  City  of  New  York,  in  the  year 
1807,  as  per  enrollment  173  issued  at  this  port  on  the 
3d  day  of  September,  1807,  now  given  up,  the  vessel  being 
enlarged.  And  Peter  A.  Schenck,  Surveyor  of  the  Port, 
having  certified  that  the  said  ship  or  vessel  has  one  deck 
and  two  masts,  and  that  her  length  is  149  feet, 

"     breadth "     17    "     11  inches, 
"     depth      "      7     « 
and   that   she   measures   182  48/95   tons.     That   she   is   a 


EXPERIMENTAL    STAGE.  21 

square-sterned  boat,  has  a  square  tuck:  —  no  quarter  gal- 
leries and  no  figure  head. 

"Hands  and  Seals,  May  14th,  1808." 

An  account  of  the  trial  trip  is  thus  given  by  Cadwallader 
D.  Golden,  in  his  "Life  of  Robert  Fulton,"  1817: 

"  Mr.  Livingston  and  Mr.  Fulton  had  invited  many  of 
their  friends  to  witness  the  first  trial  :  among  them  were  the 
learned  Drs.  Mitchell  and  McNevin,  to  whom  the  country  is 
indebted  for  some  account  of  what  passed  on  that  occasion. 
Nothing  could  exceed  the  surprise  and  admiration  of  all  who 
witnessed  the  experiment.  The  minds  of  the  most  incredu- 
lous, who  had  styled  the  boat  '  Fulton's  Folly,'  were  changed 
in  a  few  minutes.  Before  the  boat  had  made  the  progress  of 
a  quarter  of  a  mile,  the  greatest  unbeliever  must  have  been 
converted.  The  man  who,  while  he  looked  on  the  expensive 
machine,  thanked  his  stars  that  he  had  more  wisdom  than  to 
waste  his  money  on  such  idle  schemes,  changed  the  expression 
of  his  features  as  the  boat  moved  from  the  wharf  and  gained 
her  speed:  his  complacent  smile  gradually  stiffened  into  an 
expression  of  wonder. 

"  The  jeers  of  the  ignorant,  who  had  neither  sense  nor 
feeling  enough  to  suppress  their  contemptuous  ridicule  and 
rude  jokes,  were  silenced  for  a  moment  by  a  vulgar  aston- 
ishment which  deprived  them  of  the  power  of  utterance,  till 
the  triumph  of  genius  extorted  from  the  incredulous  multi- 
tude which  crowded  the  shores,  shouts  and  acclamations  of 
congratulation  and  applause. 

"  The  boat  had  riot  been  long  under  way  when  Fulton 
ordered  her  engine  stopped.  Though  her  performance  so  far 
exceeded  the  expectations  of  every  other  person,  and  no  one 
but  himself  thought  she  could  be  improved,  he  immediately 
perceived  that  there  was  a  defect  in  the  construction  of  her 
water-wheels  :  he  had  their  diameter  lessened,  so  that  the 
buckets  took  less  hold  of  the  water;  and  when  they  were 
again  put  in  motion,  it  was  manifest  that  the  alteration  had 
increased  the  speed  of  the  boat." 


boat,  on  August  17th/  sailed  from  a  dock  in  New 
York  City,  near  the  State  Prison,  for  Albany,  on  her  first 


22  EXPERIMENTAL    STAGE. 

'  »• 

voyage,  and  arrived  at  her  destination  without  any  accident. 
"  She  excited  the  astonishment  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  shores. : 
of  the  Hudson,  many  of  whom  had  not  heard  of  an  engine, 
much  less  of  a  steamboat.  There  were  many  descriptions  of 
the  effects  of  her  appearance  upon  the  people  on  the  banks 
of  the  river:  some  of  these  were  ridiculous,  but. some  of  then* 
were  of  such  a  character  as  nothing  but  an  object  of  real 
grandeur  could  have  excited.  She  was  described  by  some 
who  had  indistinctly  seen  her  passing  in  the  night,  to  those 
who  had  not  had  a  view  of  her,  as  a  monster  moving  on  the 
waters,  defying  the  wind  and  tide,  and  breathing  flames  and  • 
smoke. 

"  She  had  the  most  terrific  appearance  from  other  vessels 
which  were  navigating  the  river  when  she  was  making  her 
passage.  The  first  steamboats,  as  others  yet  do,  used  dry 
pine  wood  for  fuel,  which  sends  forth  a  column  of  ignited 
vapor  many  feet  above  the  flue,  and  whenever  the  fire  is 
stirred,  a  galaxy  of  sparks  flies  off,  and  in  the  night  have  a 
very  brilliant  and  beautiful  appearance. 

"  This  uncommon  light  first  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
crews  of  other  vessels.  Notwithstanding  the  wind  and  tide 
were  adverse  to  its  approach,  they  saw  with  astonishment 
that  it  was  rapidly  coming  towards  them:  and  when  it  came 
so  near  as  that  the  noise  of  the  machinery  and  paddles  were 
heard,  the  crews — if  what  was  said  in  the  newspapers  of  the 
time  be  true — in  some  instances  shrunk  beneath  the  decks 
from  the  terrific  sight,  and  left  their  vessels  to  go  on  shore, 
while  others  prostrated  themselves  and  besought  Providence 
to  protect  them  from  the  approaches  of  the  horrible  monster 
which  was  marching  on  the  tides  and  lighting  its  path  by 
the  fires  which  it  vomited." 

Mr.  Fulton  was  himself  a  passenger  on  this  voyage,  and, 
upon  his  return,  published  an  account  of  his  trip  to  Albany 
and  return  as  follows: 

NEW  YORK,  August  21st,  1807. 
To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Citizen: 

SIR, — I  arrived  this  afternoon  at  4  o'clock,  in  the 
steamboat  from  Albany.  As  the  success  of  my  experi- 
ment gives  me  great  hopes  that  such  boats  may  be  ren- 


EXPERIMENTAL   STAGE.  23 

dered  of  great  importance  to  my  country,  to  prevent 
erroneous  opinions  and  give  some  satisfaction  to  the 
friends  of  useful  improvements,  you  will  have  the  good- 
ness to  publish  the  following  statement  of  facts: 

I  left  New  York  on  Monday,  at  1  o'clock,  and 
arrived  at  Clermont,  the  country  seat  of  Chancellor 
Livingston,  at  1  o'clock  on  Tuesday — time,  24  hours ;  dis- 
tance, one  hundred  and  ten  miles.  On  Wednesday  I 
departed  from  the  Chancellor's  at  9  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  and  arrived  at  Albany  at  5  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon — distance,  40  miles;  time,  8  hours.  The  sum 
is,  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  thirty-two  hours,  equal 
to  nearly  five  miles  per  hour. 

On  Thursday,  at  9  o'clock  in  the  morning,  I  left 
Albany,  and  arrived  at  the  Chancellor's  at  6  o'clock  in 
the  evening.  I  started  from  there  at  7,  and  arrived  at 
New  York  at  4  in  the  afternoon.  Space  run  through, 
one  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  equal  to  five  miles  an  hour. 

Throughout  my  whole  way,  both  going  and  return- 
ing, the  wind  was  ahead — no  advantage  could  be  derived 
from  my  sails — the  whole  has,  therefore,  be. en  performed 
by  the  power  of  the  steam  engine. 

I  am,  Sir,  Your  obt.  servant, 

ROBT.  FULTON. 

The  following  is  an  account  of  his  trip  to  Albany  and 
return,  to  his  friend,  Mr.  Barlow:  \ 

"My  steamboat  voyage  to  Albany  and  back  has  turned 
out  rather  more  favorable  than  I  had  calculated.  The  dis- 
tance from  New  York  to  Albany  is  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles: 
I  ran  it  up  in  thirty-two  hours,  and  down  in  thirty.  I  had  a 
light  breeze  against  me  the  whole  way,  both  going  and  coming, 
and  the  voyage  has  been  performed  wholly  by  the  power  of  the 
steam  engine.  I  overtook  many  sloops  and  schooners  beating 
to  windward,  and  parted  with  them  as  if  they  had  been  at 
anchor. 

"  The  power  of  propelling  boats  by  steam  is  now  fully 
proved.  The  morning  I  left  New  York  there  were  not  perhaps 
thirty  persons  in  the  city  who  believed  that  the  boat  would 
even  move  one  mile  per  hour,  or  be  of  the  least  utility;  and 


24  EXPERIMENTAL   STAGE. 

while  we  were  putting  off  from  the  wharf,  which  was  crowded 
with  spectators,  I  heard  a  number  of  sarcastic  remarks.  This 
is  the  way  ignorant  men  compliment  what  they  call  philoso- 
phers and  projectors. 

"  Having  employed  much  time,  money  and  zeal  in  accom- 
plishing this  work,  it  gives  me,  as  it  will  give  you,  great 
pleasure  to  see  it  fully  answer  my  expectations:  it  will  give  a 
quick  and  cheap  conveyance  to  the  merchandise  on  the  Missis- 
sippi, Missouri,  and  other  great  rivers,  which  are  now  laying 
open  their  treasures  to  the  enterprise  of  our  countrymen ;  and, 
although  the  prospect  of  personal  emolument  has  been  some 
inducement  to  me,  yet  I  feel  infinitely  more  pleasure  in  reflect- 
ing on  the  immense  advantage  my  country  will  derive  from 
the  invention." 

About  two  weeks  after  the  experimental  trip  to  Albany, 
in  August,  the  "Clermont"  was  advertised  to  sail  between 
New  York  and  the  former  city.  A  copy  of  a  few  of  the  notices 
in  the  daily  papers  at  the  time  were  as  follows: 

><  Sept.  2d,  1807. 

"  The  North  River  Steamboat  will  leave  Paulus  Hook 
ferry  on  Friday,  4th  of  September,  at  6  in  the  morning,  and 
arrive  at  Albany  on  Saturday  in  the  afternoon.  Provisions, 
good  berths,  and  accommodations  are  provided. 

"The  charge  to  each  passenger  as  follows: 

"  To  Newburg .3  Dolls.— Time,  14  hours. 

O"    Poughkeepsie 4       "  "       17      " 

"    Esopus 4i/2  "  «      20      " 

"    Hudson 5       "    —    "      30      " 

"    Albany 7       "  "      36      " 

"  For  places,  apply  to  Wm.  Vandervoort,  No.  48  Courtland 
street,  on  the  corner  of  Greenwich  street." 

The  notice  of  her  first  trip  is  given  thus:  "This  morning 
(September  4th)  at  six  o'clock  Mr.  Fulton's  steamboat  left  the 
ferry  stairs  at  Courtland  street  dock  for  Albany.  We  under- 
stand she  had  24  passengers."  The  latter  is  an  error,  for  the 


EXPERIMENTAL    STAGE.  25 

passenger  list  consisted  of  12  through  passengers  and  3  way 
passengers. 

The  following  advertisement  of  Hudson  River  traveling 
by  steamboats  at  this  time  will  be  interesting  reading  so  far 
as  time  and  accommodations  are  concerned: 

STEAMBOAT. 
For  the  Information  of  the  Public. 

The  Steamboat  will  leave  New  York  for  Albany  every 
Saturday  afternoon  exactly  at  6  o'clock,  and  will  pass 

West  Point about  4  o'clock  Sunday  morning. 

Newburg    "      7  "  "            " 

Poughkeepsie   "11  "  "            " 

Esopus "      2  "  in  the  afternoon. 

Red  Hook   "      4  "  "            « 

Catskill    "      7  "  "       evening. 

Hudson    "      9  "  "            " 

She  will  leave  Albany  for  New  York  every  Wednesday 
morning  exactly  8  o'clock,  and  pass 

Hudson about  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 

Esopus "      8        "  "        evening. 

Poughkeepsie "12        "  at  night. 

Newburg  "       4        "  Thursday  morning. 

West  Point "7        "  "  « 

As  the  time  at  which  the  boat  may  arrive  at  the  different 
places  above  mentioned  may  vary  an  hour  more  or  less,  ac- 
cording to  the  advantage  or  disadvantage  of  wind  and  tide, 
those  who  wish  to  come  on  board  will  see  the  necessity  of 
being  on  the  spot  an  hour  before  the  time.  Persons  wishing 
to  come  on  board  from  any  other  landing  than  those  here 
specified,  can  calculate  the  time  the  boat  will  pass,  and  be 
ready  on  her  arrival. 

Innkeepers  or  boatmen,  who  bring  passengers  on  board 
or  take  them  ashore  from  any  part  of  the  river,  will  be  allowed 
one  shilling  for  each  person. 


26  EXPERIMENTAL   STAGE. 

Price  of  the  passage — from  New  York 

To  West  Point |2.50 

"    Newburg 3.00 

"    Poughkeepsie  3.50 

"    Esopus .  .   4.00 

"    Bed  Hook 4.50 

«    Hudson 5.00 

«    Albany ' 7.00 

From  Albany 

To  Hudson f  2.00 

"    Red  Hook   3.00 

"    Esopus 3.50 

"    Poughkeepsie   4.00 

"    Newburg  and  West  Point 4.50 

"    New  York 7.00 

All  the  passengers  are  to  pay  at  the  rate  of  f  1.00  for 
every  twenty  miles,  and  half  a  dollar  for  every  meal  they  may 
take. 

Children  from  1  to  5  years  of  age  to  pay  half  price,  pro- 
vided they  sleep  two  in  a  berth,  and  whole  price  for  each  one 
who  requests  to  occupy  a  whole  berth. 

Servants,  who  pay  two-thirds  price,  are  entitled  to  a 
berth;  they  pay  half  price  if  they  do  not  have  a  berth. 

Every  passenger  paying  full  price  is  allowed  60  pounds  of 
baggage;  if  less  than  whole  price,  40  pounds.  They  are  to 
pay  at  the  rate  of  3  cents  per  pound  for  surplus  baggage. 
Storekeepers,  who  wish  to  carry  light  and  valuable  mer- 
chandise, can  be  accommodated  on  paying  3  cents  a  pound. 

Passengers  will  breakfast  before  they  come  aboard.  Din- 
ner will  be  served  up  exactly  at  1  o'clock;  tea,  with  meats, 
which  is  also  supper  at  8  o'clock  in  the  evening;  and  break- 
fast at  9  o'clock  in  the  morning.  No  one  has  a  claim  on  the 
steward  for  victuals  at  any  other  time." 

Like  all  new  inventions,  her  machinery  was  the  subject 
of  much  care  and  attention  for  the  first  season,  the  weak 
points  developing  very  quickly  after  the  vessel  was  in  ser- 
vice. The  cast-iron  shaft  and  the  water-wheels  were  a  con- 
stant source  of  trouble. 


EXPERIMENTAL    STAGE.  2V 

The  "Clermont"  continued  to  run  during  the  remainder  of 
the  season  on  the  same  route,  and  during  the  winter  was 
lengthened  and  given  an  increased  beam.  In  the  spring  of 
1808  she  was  again  put  on  the  route,  where  she  continued  to 
do  service  as  a  passenger  boat  until  July,  1814,  when  with- 
drawn from  further  service,  as  the  "Richmond"  had  been  just 
completed. 

As  a  further  encouragement  to  the  placing  of  steamboats 
upon  the  rivers  of  the  State,  the  New  York  Legislature,  on 
April  llth,  1808,  passed  a  bill  for  the  benefit,  and  at  the  same 
time  for  the  protection,  of  the  steam  vessels  belonging  to 
Livingston  and  Fulton. 

Livingston  and  Fulton  afterwards  built  the  following 
steam  vessels  for  the  Hudson  River  service,  viz.: 

"Car  of  Neptune,"  1808;  "Paragon,"  1811;  "Fire  Fly," 
1812;  "  Richmond,"  1813-14. 

The  success  of  Robert  Fulton  appears  to  date  from  the 
time  of  the  adoption  of  the  side  paddle  wheels  in  his  experi- 
ments. This  means  of  propulsion  had  been  on  trial  in  this 
country  prior  to  Fulton's  use  of  them.  They  were  tried  on 
a  small  scale  by  Nathan  Reed  at  Danvars,  Mass.,  in  1789;  by 
Samuel  Morey,  at  Bordentown,  N.  J.,  in  1797;  also  by 
Nicholas  J.  Roosevelt,  who  was  associated  with  Livingston 
and  Stevens. 

As  there  was  no  part  of  the  original  "Clermont"  that  was 
an  invention  of  Robert  Fulto'n,  though  he  obtained  patents  at 
a  subsequent  date  on  improvements,  his  theoretical  knowledge 
of  steam  navigation  and  its  adaptation  to  practical  purposes 
was  the  cause  of  his  success.  He  knew  very  nearly  all  that 
had  been  done  in  the  way  of  experiments,  and  his  ability  lay 
in  selecting  those  features  that  were  of  value  and  bri aging 
them  together,  so  they  were  first  seen  in  the  "Clermont."  He 
must  certainly  have  had  mechanical  ability  of  no  mean  order 
for  that  day  to  have  accomplished  so  much  at  one  stroke.  He 
found  where  changes  could  be  made  to  advantage;  but  the 
location  of  the  machinery  in  the  vessel,  so  that  it  float  on  an 
even  keel,  was  a  great  triumph  for  him.  He,  or  his  engineers, 
were  fortunate  in  that  regard.  Builders  of  the  present  day, 
at  times,  have  their  own  troubles  in  the  proper  distribution 
of  the  weights. 


28  EXPERIMENTAL   STAGE. 

"  PHENIX." 

Tke  small  amount  of  information  that  has  been  handed 
down  to  us  of  this  vessel,  is  very  surprising,  when  we  take 
into  consideration  that  it  was  built  just  opposite  New  York 
City,  and  but  a  few  months  after  the  completion  of  the  "Cler- 
mont."  Probably  the  writers  have  given  us  all  the  data  on 
the  subject  that  was  placed  at  their  service,  or  to  be  obtained. 
There  appear  to  be  some  differences  between  the  accounts 
related  by  the  best  authorities  and  many  facts  regarding  the 
vessel  during  the  few  years  of  its  service,  that  seem  to  be 
irreconcilable.  This  was  the  second  steam  vessel  in  the 
United  States,  counting  from  the  "Clermont"  as  the  first 
vessel,  and  was  the  first  of  American  build,  of  hull  and 
machinery.  Writers  have  named  it  as  anywhere  from  the 
second  to  the  seventh  steam  vessel  in  the  United  States. 

The  earliest  writer  that  can  be  found,  was  Prof.  James 
Renwick,  of  Columbia  College,  in  1830,  who  says: — "In  the 
meantime  Livingston's  former  associate,  the  elder  Stevens, 
had  persevered  in  his  attempts  to  construct  steamboats.  In 
his  enterprise  he  now  received  the  aid  of  his  son,  and  his 
prospects  of  success  had  become  so  flattering  that  he  refused 
to  renew  his  partnership  with  Livingston  and  resolved  to 
trust  to  his  own  exertions.  Fulton's  boat  was,  however,  first 
ready  and  secured  the  grant  of  the  exclusive  privilege  of  the 
State  of  New  York.  The  Stevens  were  but  a  few  days  later 
in  moving  a  boat  with  the  required  velocity,  and  as  their  ex- 
periments were  conducted  separately,  have  an  equal  right  to 
the  honors  of  invention  with  Fulton.  Being  shut  out  of  the 
waters  of  the  State  of  New  York  by  the  monopoly  of  Living- 
ston and  Fulton,  Stevens  conceived  the  bold  design  of  con- 
veying his  boat  to  the  Delaware  by  sea,  and  this  boat,  which 
was  so  near  reaping  the  honor  of  first  success,  was  the  first 
to  navigate  the  ocean  by  the  power  of  steam." 

Then  Prof.  Charles  King,  also  of  Columbia  College,  in  a 
lecture  on  the  "Progress  of  New  York  City,"  in  1851,  says  of 
this  vessel:  "The  palm  thus -gained  by  Fulton  was  closely  con- 
tested by  John  Stevens,  of  Hoboken,  N.  J.,  who,  long  in  con- 
cert with  R.  R.  Livingston,  had  made  experiments  in  steam 
as  a  means  of  propulsion,  but  now,  aided  by  the  genius  and 


EXPERIMENTAL    STAGE.  29 

practical  and  mechanical  skill  of  his  son,  Robert  L.  Stevens, 
was  operating  separately.  Almost  simultaneously,  but  yet 
behind  by  that  fatal  .quarter  of  an  hour  which  determined  the 
fate  of  so  many  enterprises  and  so  many  human  beings,  both 
men  and  women,  Mr.  Stevens  produced  independently  of  Ful- 
ton's plans  and  experiments,  his  steamboat  "Phenix,"  but,  pre- 
cluded by  the  monopoly  which  Fulton's  success  had  obtained 
for  him  of  the  waters  of  New  York,  Mr.  Stevens  first  em- 
ployed her  as  a  passage  boat  between  this  city  and  New 
Brunswick,  and  finally  conceived  the  bold  purpose  of  sending 
her  around  to  Philadelphia  by  sea:  and  he  executed  it  suc- 
cessfully. His  son,  Robert  L.  Stevens,  went  around  with  the 
boat  in  the  month  of  June,  1808.  A  fierce  storm  overtook 
them.  A  schooner  in  company  was  driven  out  to  sea  and  was 
absent  many  days,  but  the  "Phenix"  made  a  safe  harbor  at 
Barnegat,  whence,  when  the  storm  abated,  she  proceeded 
safely  to  Philadelphia  and  plied  many  years  between  that  city 
and  Trenton."  He  also  said,  "that  hollow  and  concave  water 
lines  in  the  bowr  were  introduced  for  the  first  time  in  the 
steamboat  "Phenix."  It  were  as  well  if  the  speaker  had  left 
this  out,  with  some  of  his  other  claims. 

C.  Elfreth  Watkins,  C.  E.,  in  1892,  in  a  paper  on  "  John 
Stevens  and  his  Sons,"  says  of  Robert  L.  Stevens :  "  He  took 
the  "Phenix"  from  New  York  to  Philadelphia  by  sea  in  June, 
1808.  The  "Phenix"  was  the  first  steamboat  to  navigate  the 
ocean." 

Frank  B.  Stevens,  1893,  in  his  paper  on  "The  first  steam- 
screw  propeller  boats  to  navigate  the  waters  of  any  country," 
says  of  John  Stevens:  "He  was  engaged  in  building  the 
"Phenix"  when  Fulton  arrived  from  Europe  with  the  engine 
made  for  him  by  Watt,  in  1806,  which,  complete  in  all  its 
details,  and  in  these  respects  far  in  advance  of  any  engine 
that  could  then  have  been  built  in  this  country,  achieved 
success." 

"Fulton's  engine  was  the  first  rotative  steam  engine  that 
was  allowed  to  be  exported  from  England." 

"The  paddle-steamer  "Phenix"  was  completed  a  few  weeks 
after  Fulton's  vessel;  and  as  she  was  debarred  from  navigat- 
ing the  waters  of  the  Hudson  by  the  monopoly  given  to  Fulton 
by  the  legislature  of  the  State  of  New  York,  she  was  sent  by 


30  EXPERIMENTAL    STAGE. 

sea  to  Philadelphia.     The  "Phenix"  was  the  first  steamboat 
that  navigated  the  ocean." 

These  quotations  will  be  recognized  as  from  authorities 
of  undoubted  ability  and  reputation  to  speak  on  the  subject. 
It  will  be  noted  how  limited  in  the  scope  and  how  general  in 
the  terms  they  have  treated  the  subject. 

Let  us  now  examine  some  of  the  records  of  this  early 
period,  so  far  as  relates  to  this  vessel. 

In  January,  1812,  there  was  a  paper  published  in  a  New 
York  medical  journal  as  a  "Historical  account  of  the  appli- 
cation of  steam  for  the  propulsion  of  Boats,"  in  which  the 
writer  says:  "Not  long  after  John  Stevens,  Esq.,  of  Hoboken, 
engaged  in  the  same  pursuit,  tried  elliptical  paddles,  smoke- 
jack  wheels,  and  a  variety  of  other  ingenious  contrivances, 
sometimes  of  his  own  invention,  and  again  in  conjunction 
with  Mr.  Kinsley,  late  one  of  our  most  distinguished  mecha- 
nicians. None  of  these  having  been  attended  with  the  desired 
eifect,  Mr.  Stevens  has,  since  the  introduction  of  Messrs. 
Livingston  and  Fulton's  boat,  adopted  their  principles  and 
built  two  boats  that  are  propelled  by  wheels  to  which  he 
has  added  a  boiler  of  his  invention  that  promises  to  be  a  useful 
improvement  on  engines  designed  for  boats." 

John  Stevens,  in  1814,  replied  to  this  paper,  so  far  as  it 
related  to  his  steamboat  experiments,  and  says  in  part:  "It 
is  very  true  that  I  now  make  use  of  water  wheels  on  each  side 
of  the  boat.  It  is  surely  very  far  from  my  intention  to  make 
any  attempt  to  invalidate  Mr.  Fulton's  claim  to  water  wheels 
thus  'applied.  It  is  an  unquestionable  fact  that  he  was  the 
first  person  who,  for  any  practical  useful  purpose,  applied 
water  wheels  on  each  side  of  a  steamboat. 

"It  may  not  be  amiss  to  mention  that  in  the  year  1807, 
when  the  North  Eiver  Steamboat  made  her  first  appearance 
on  the  waters  of  the  Hudson,  I  constructed  an  engine  and 
boat  on  a  very  small  scale,  viz.:  fifteen  feet  long,  and  four  and 
a  half  feet  wide.  To  this  boat,  considering  her  size,  I  gave 
a  most  astonishing  velocity.  At  times  not  less  than  six  miles 
an  hour.  To  be  sure,  she  had  water  wheels  on  each  side. 
But  that  this  extraordinary  velocity  was  not  altogether  owing 
to  this  circumstance  is  evident  from  the  fact  of  her  goinjf. 


EXPERIMENTAL   STAGE.  31 

notwithstanding  every  disadvantage,  much  faster  than  the 
North  River  Steamboat.  Mr.  Fulton  has,  however,  incontest- 
arbly  the  merit  of  being  the  first  person  who  applied  steam- 
boats to  useful  purposes." 

This  letter  of  John  Stevens  shows  that  he  built,  after  the 
"Clermont"  was  in  service,  a  small  experimental  vessel  with 
side  wheels,  but  makes  no  reference  to  a  larger  vessel  that  he 
had  constructed  at  this  time  with  side  wheels.  Nor  is  there 
in  the  letter  any  data  of  the  "Phenix's"  original  construction. 

We  learn  nothing  further,  or,  it  may  more  properly  be 
said,  the  first  we  learn,  so  far  as  the  light  of  the  records  at 
present  reveals,  is  that  John  Stevens,  on  October  20th,  1808, 
issues  a  proposal  for  the  formation  of  a  company  to  run  a 
steamboat  from  New  York  to  New  Brunswick.  In  this  pro- 
posal he  states  that  he  has  a  steamboat  that  made  a  trial 
trip  on  the  27th  of  September  previous.  It  is  given  in  full  and 
throws  a  great  deal  of  light  into  the  darkness  that  has  sur- 
rounded this  vessel.  And  coming  from  the  owner,  it  cannot 
be  denied. 

A    STEAMBOAT 

from  New  York  to  New  Brunswick,  and  from  Trenton  to  Philadelphia. 

Proposal. 

The  application  of  steam  to  propelling  vessels  has  been 
the  favorite  object  of  the  subscriber  for  upwards  of  twenty 
years  past.  It  is  unnecessary  now  to  go  into  any  detail  of 
the  very  numerous  experiments  he  has  made  with  a  view  of 
effecting  his  purpose.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  the  result  of  so 
many  years'  unremitting  attention,  and  an  expenditure  in 
money  far  beyond  the  bounds  of  credibility,  has  at  length  ter- 
minated in  success:  in  the  complete  attainment  of  his  object. 

That  the  public  may  feel  proper  confidence  in  the  com- 
petency of  the  subscriber  to  carry  into  effect  the  objects 
embraced  in  these  proposals,  he  begs  leave  to  state  the  per- 
formance of  a  steamboat  he  has  built  with  a  view  to  the  navi- 
gation of  the  North  River,  in  a  voyage  he  made  to  Perth 
Amboy. 

She  left  Hoboken  at  about  half-past  12  o'clock  on  Tues- 
day, the  27th  of  September,  but  owing  to  repeated  delays  for 


32  EXPERIMENTAL    STAGE. 

adjusting  various  parts  of  the  machinery,  a  very  strong  head 
wind,  and  a  heavy  swell  in  the  bay,  and  adverse  tides,  did  not 
reach  Perth  Amboy  till  a  quarter  after  seven,'  The  next 
morning  she  left  Perth  Amboy  precisely  at  half-past  12 
o'clock. 

Passed  by  mouth  Elizabeth  T.  Creek,  56  minutes  after  2 
"          "  Church  on  Staten  Island.  .50        "  "    3 

"          "  Bergen  Point 50        "  «     4 

"          "  Bedloes  Island   30        "  "     5 

u          "  Paules  Hook  6        "  "    6 

"          "  Hoboken .18        "  "     6 

Distance  from  Perth  Amboy  to  Paules  Hook,  80  miles; 
time,  5  hours  and  35  minutes,  which  is  more  than  5y2  miles 
an  hour. 

Were  his  individual  funds  adequate  to  the  completion  of 
the  object  of  the  proposals,  it  would  manifestly  be  his  interest 
to  retain  the  whole  in  his  own  hands.  But  he  is  induced  by 
another  consideration  to  make  the  following  proposals.  He 
wishes  to  engage  as  many  of  his  fellow-citizens  as  possible  to 
embark  in  the  undertaking,  in  order  that  they  may  feel  a 
warm  interest  in  the  promotion  of  an  object  of  so  great  public 
utility. 

The  subscriber  will  oblige  himself  to  build  a  vessel  of 
100  feet  keel  and  16  feet  beam,  of  the  best  materials,  which 
shall  possess  every  convenience  and  accommodation  requisite 
for  a  passage  boat  between  New  York  and  New  Brunswick, 
on  board  of  which  he  will  place  a  steam  engine  which  shall 
give  her  a  velocity  of  at  least  five  miles  an  hour,  but  probably 
much  more. 

He  will  also  contract  that  she  shall  be  completed  in 
every  respect  as  a  passage  boat  on  or  before  the  first  day  of 
May  next. 

The  subscriber  estimates  from  'the  most  correct  infor- 
mation that  the  number  of  passengers  to  and  from  New  York 
and  New  Brunswick  will  exceed  fifty  each  way.  But  the  ratio 
of  increase,  which  may  reasonably  be  expected  in  the  course 
of  a  few  years,  will  probably  exceed  the  most  sanguine  ex- 
pectations. 


EXPERIMENTAL    STAGE.  33 

100  passengers,  averaged  at  $1.25,  would  be  per  day.  .$125.00 
The  steamboat  from  New  York  to  Albany  requires  from 
12  to  14  loads  of  pine  wood  to  perform  the  passage; 
the  distance  from  New  York  to  New  Brunswick 
and  back  again  is  little  more  than  one  half  the 
distance  from  New  York  to  Albany;  say  then  that 
8  loads  per  day  of  pine  wood  will  be  required, 

which,  at  10s.  per  load,  is $10.00 

Two  Firemen  and  two  Sailors,  at  10s.  per  day,  is.     5.00 

Captain,  per  day,  say 3.00 

Extra  expenses,  say 7.00 

$25.00 


Clear  profit  per  day $100.00 

Supposing  the  navigation  is  interrupted  for  60  days  dur- 
ing the  winter  season,  and  other  interruptions  should  amount 
to  55  days  more,  there  would  then  remain  250  days  which,  at 
$100  per  day,  is  $25,000  per  annum. 

In  this  estimate  no  account  is  made  for  way  passengers 
from  South  Amboy,  Perth  Amboy,  Rahway,  Elizabethtown, 
Staten  Island,  etc.,  etc.,  which,  no  doubt,  would  be  very  con- 
siderable. We  will,  however,  estimate  the  whole  at  only 
$5,000,  which  may  be  placed  against  the  necessary  repair  of 
the  boat  and  engine. 

By  this  estimate,  then,  assuming  the  capital  to  be  equal 
to  $75,000,  it  would  yield  a  neat  return  of  331/3  per  cent,  per 
annum,  which  may  be  paid  quarterly,  or  even  monthly,  to  the 
stockholders. 

This  capital  the  subscriber  proposes  to  divide  into  1000 
shares  at  $75  per  share,  and  that  subscribers  may  be  secured 
from  all  possibility  of  loss,  the  subscriber  will  warrrant  the 
payment  of  8  per  cent,  per  annum,  in  half-yearly  payments, 
to  any  and  every  subscriber  who  will  release  to  him  one-half 
of  the  neat  revenue  on  each  share  exceeding  8  per  cent,  per 
annum. 

The  subscriber  proposes  opening  a  subscription  for  250 
shares  in  the  following  manner:  On  Tuesday,  the  25th  of 
October,  at  12  o'clock,  at  the  house  of  Abraham  Degraw,  in 


34  EXPERIMENTAL   STAGE. 

the  City  of  New  Brunswick,  he  will  open  a  subscription  for 
100  shares. 

In  like  manner  he  proposes  opening  a  subscription  at  the 
Tontine  Coffee  House,  in  the  City  of  New  York,  at  12  o'clock 
on  Friday,  the  28th  October,  for  150  shares.  Ten  dollars  of 
the  subscription  money  to  be  paid  at  the  time  of  subscribing, 
when  proper  certificates  will  be  given. 

15  dollars  on  the  5th  day  of  December  next. 
15         "       "      "    1st     "     "    January       " 
15        «       "      "    1st      "     "    February      " 
10        "       "      "    5th     "     "    March          « 
10        "       "      "    1st      "    "    April  « 

On  failure  of  payment  of  said  installments  when  they 
shall  severally  become  due,  the  subscriber  so  failing  to  forfeit 
his  share  and  all  and  every  of  the  installments  previously 
paid  up.  The  subscriber  to  give  satisfactory  security  to  the 
stockholders  for  due  performance  of  the  engagements  and 
contracts  on  his  part,  mentioned  in  the  above  proposals. 

With  the  velocity  expected  to  be  given,  the  journey 
between  New  York  and  Philadelphia  may  easily  be  accom- 
plished in  one  day. 

(Signed)     JOHN  STEVENS. 

The  issue  of  this  proposal  to  form  a  steamboat  company 
to  run  in  the  waters  of  New  York  State  appears  to  have  met 
with  some  opposition,  for  by  the  following  letter  that  was 
published  in  one  of  the  daily  papers  of  that  period,  a  little 
more  light  is  let  into  the  conditions  surrounding  the  steam- 
boat question  of  that  day.  It  shows  the  writer  understood 
well  the  question  he  was  discussing.  It  was  what  he  left 
unsaid,  or  the  reading  between  the  lines,  that  had  much  mean- 
ing. It  does  not  appear  that  any  company  was  organized 
under  charter  in  the  State  of  New  Jersey. 

The  letter  referred  to  above  says: — 

"Having  seen  some  propositions  of  Mr.  Stevens  relative 
to  the  building  of  a  steamboat,  I  wish,  before  I  venture  my 
money,  to  have  candid  answers  to  the  following  questions: 

"  1st.  Has  Mr.  Stevens  a  patent  for  a  steamboat  from  the 
United  States  or  from  this  State? 


EXPERIMENTAL    STAGE.  35 

"  2d.  If  he  has  not,  and  no  patent  exists,  cannot  any 
other  person  build  a  boat  or  boats?  If  they  can,  what  is  to 
prevent  them  dividing  the  profits  witji  him? 

"  3d.  Is  there  not  at  present  a  boat  building  to  carry 
passengers  to  and  from  New  Brunswick?  And  is  not  the 
number  of  persons  which  Mr.  Stevens  states  as  going  to  New 
Brunswick  daily,  extremely  exaggerated? 

"  4th.  If  Mr.  Stevens  already  has  a  boat  -capable  of  going 
five  miles  an  hour,  why  does  he  solicit  subscriptions?  And 
why  is  she  not  earning  at  this  moment,  when  she  has  no  com- 
petitor, the  large  profits  he  speaks  of? 

"  5th.  Have  we  any  other  evidence  of  Mr.  Stevens'  ability 
to  construct  a  suitable  boat  than  the  voyage  from  Amboy? 
And  did  not  a  south-west  wind  blow  on  the  day  he  specified 
with  sufficient  violence  to  have  brought  up  an  oyster  boat  in 
the  same  time  under  bare  poles? 

"  "  6th.  Cannot  a  steamboat  of  the  size  he  mentions  be 
built  for  |20,000?  And  if  it  can,  why  should  the  public  give 
him  $75,000,  if  he  has  no  exclusive  privilege?  . 

"  7th.  Are  not  the  persons  who  subscribe  to  Mr. 
Stevens'  object,  besides  the  risk  of  losing  their  money  by  its 
failure,  to  be  personally  liable  to  the  penalty  of  the  patent  law, 
if  they  infringe  the  rights  of  any  person  having  a  patent  from 
the  United  States? 

"  8th.  What  security  will  the  subscribers  have  that  their 
money  will  be  refunded  if  Mr.  Stevens'  project  fails?  Will 
they  individually  think  it  worth  their  while  to  foreclose  a 
mortgage  for  75  dollars,  and  is  not  the  whole  a  scheme  to 
borrow  money,  or  to  get  rid  of  a  hopeless  project? 

"  9th.  Has  not  a  grant  from  this  State  been  already  given 
to  certain  individuals  to  navigate  its  waters  with  vessels 
moved  by  steam  engines?  Have  they  not  already,  and  are 
they  not  now  making  every  exertion  to  render  this  mode  of 
conveyance  as  generally  useful  and  extensive  as  possible? 
And  does  it  comport  with  that  sense  of  propriety  which  every 
just  and  liberal  man  ought  to  respect,  to  intrude  upon  their 
rights  by  encouraging  interlopers  who  copy  their  inven- 
tions? " 


36  EXPERIMENTAL    STAGE. 

After  this  first  experimental  stage  has  been  passed  there 
is  no  trace  of  any  activity  in  service  with  the  vessel  for  some 
time,  but  it  is  altogether  probable  that  she  was  the  subject  of 
many  changes  during  several  months  of  the  interval,  as  we 
find  on  April  29th  and  30th,  1809,  there  was  another  trial  made 
with  the  vessel,  of  which  the  following  gives  a  fair  idea  of  the 
vessel's  speed: 

Passed  Paules  Hook,  from  Hoboken .  .  10  minutes  after  11 

"  Elizabethtown,  Old  Point 1  "  "  2 

"  South  Amboy  10  "  "  6 

Arrived  at  New  Brunswick 42        "  "      8 

Returned  next  day: 

Leaving  New  Brunswick,  a.  m 25  minutes  after  9 

Passed  South  Amboy 24  "    11 

Left  Perth  Amboy 45        "  "     12 

Passed  Elizabethtown,  Old  Point 20        "  "      4 

Arrived  at  New  York 7        "  "      8 

Passage  to  New  Brunswick  performed  in  9  hours  32 
minutes. 

Passage  from  New  Brunswick  to  New  York  performed  in 
9  hours  20  minutes,  exclusive  of  stop  at  Perth  Amboy. 

*  Distance  from  New  Brunswick  to  New  York,  45  miles. 

^This  voyage  was  probably  taken  to  ascertain  what  time 
she  could  make  between  New  York  and  New  Brunswick,  for 
we  find  on  May  4th,  1809,  she  is  advertised  as  the  "New 
Brunswick  Steamboat"  to  run  on  that  route.  She  run  there 
only  to  about  June  5th,  and,  it  is  believed,  not  very  regularly 
at  that. 

This  vessel  remained  at  New  York  until  June  8th,  1809, 
when  she  was  cleared  for  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  as  the  "Phenix," 
with  Moses  Rogers  as  Captain,  and  arrived  at  the  latter  port 
on  June  17th  for  service  on  the  Delaware  river.  The  Marine 
News  of  June  8th,  1809,  at  New  York,  says:  "We  understand 
the  steamboat  "Phenix"  starts  to-day  for  Philadelphia."  All 

*  Distance  from  Battery  at  New  York  City  to  Perth  Amboy,  23 
miles  (statute). 

Distance  from  Battery  at  New  York  City  to  New  Brunswick,  37 
miles. 


EXPERIMENTAL    STAGE.  37 

the  early  authorities  had  said  it  was  June,  1808.  They  en- 
countered a  severe  thunder  storm  while  off  the  coast,  and 
that  was  probably  the- reason  for  taking  refuge  in  one  of 
the  harbors  on  the  coast  to  make  repairs,  which  accounts  for 
the  long  time  on  the  way.  The  story  of  a  severe  gale  and 
a  schooner  accompanying  her  on  the  way  is  open  to  doubt. 
The  record  at  the  NewT  York  Custom  House  fails  to  show  any 
schooner  leaving  New  York  for  Philadelphia  for  several  days 
prior  to  June  8th.  Robert  L.  Stevens,  who  in  later  years 
became  one  of  our  foremost  marine  engineers,  accompanied 
the  vessel  on  the  outside  trip.  The  vessel  was  in  all  probab- 
ility lengthened  after  the  first  season  on  the  Delaware  river, 
and  had  originally  an  engine  with  two  16-inch  cylinders,  but 
after  a  service  at  Philadelphia  this  engine  was  removed  and 
another  substituted  when  lengthened.  Her  first  trip  on  the 
Delaware  river  was  on  July  5th,  1809,  to  Trenton,  "from 
Becklies  wharf  at  8  o'clock  to-morrrow  morning."  She  made 
about  ten  trips  in  all  during  the  summer,  with  vacations  for 
repairs  that  became  frequent,  and  in  the  fall  was  laid  up  for 
a  change  in  the  motive  power,  etc. 

At  this  time  the  "Phenix"  is  referred  to  by  a  Philadel- 
phia paper.  After  naming  the  "Clermont"  and  the  "Rariton," 
the  latter  as  the  better  of  the  two,  it  says  of  the  "Phenix" : 

"After  travelling  in  these  boats,  that  in  the  Delaware  is 
seen  to  great  disadvantage.  The  power  which  moves  her  is 
too  weak  to  produce  adequate  speed,  as  it  is  questionable 
whether  she  will  at  any  time  exceed  5  or  6  miles  an  hour, 
and  against  wind  and  tide  not  perhaps  more  than  two  miles 
an  hour.  It  was  hoped  the  proprietor  would  have  remedied 
this  defect.  There  is  no  question  that  if  there  was  a  steam- 
boat calculated  to  move  with  equal  velocity  with  the  "Rariton" 
boat,  and  connected  with  enterprising  and  practical  men  of 
business  on  the  Delaware,  she  would  prove  a  fortune  to  all 
concerned  and  a  great  advantage  to  the  public.  This  boat 
need  not  be  more  than  two-thirds,  or  at  most  three-fourths, 
the  size  of  the  "Rariton"  boat,  as  her  voyage  would  always 
be  performed  by  daylight.  No  room  for  births  (berths)  is 
necessary.  She  ought  to  be  constructed  for  drawing  the  least 
water  possible  to  avoid  inconveniences  from  the  sand  bar 
near  Trenton.  If  the  proprietors  of  the  patent  right  would 


38  EXPERIMENTAL   STAGE. 

build  such  a  boat  at  Philadelphia  of  suitable  power  and 
dimensions  there  can  be  no  doubt  but  ample  capital  for  the 
enterprise  would  readily  be  produced,  and  that  it  would 
result  much  to  the  advantage  of  all  concerned." 

There  is  no  reference  to  this  vessel  in  the  discussion  on 
the  steamboat  monopoly  between  Golden  and  Duer.  The  only 
place  it  is  further  mentioned  is  in  the  New  York  and  New 
Jersey  steamboat  controversy,  in  the  petition  to  the  legis- 
lature of  New  Jersey  of  the  owners  of  the  "Rariton,"  where 
they  say:  "That  your  petitioners  for  the  two  first  years  lost 
a  considerable  sum  of  money  by  the  steamboat  "Rariton." 
They  tried  to  sell  or  charter  the  vessel,  but  failed.  Your 
petitioners  were,  therefore,  induced  to  continue  the  route 
under  a  hope  that  they  would  receive  some  encouragement 
by  a  connection  with  the  steamboat  "Phenix"  in  the  Dela- 
ware, as  a  steamboat  line  had  been  established  by  John 
Stevens,  Esq.,  and  your  petitioners,  between  the  two  great 
cities  of  Philadelphia  and  New  York.  In  this  they  were 
fortunately  not  disappointed,  as  from  that  period  to  the 
present  time  the  "Rariton"  has  afforded  some  compensation 
for  the  great  risk  your  petitioners  have  run  in  making  so 
expensive  an  experiment." 

The  history  of  this  vessel  would,  from  all  the  light  on  the 
subject  at  present,  appear  to  be  that  John  Stevens  had  no 
idea  in  building  a  side-wheel  boat  prior  to  the  construction 
of  the  "Clermont,"  for  why  did  he  construct  a  small  steam 
vessel  with  side  wheels,  as  he  says,  on  the  first  appearance  of 
the  North  River  Steamboat?  This  was  certainly  an  experi- 
mental vessel  with  side  wheels.  Then  there  is  so  far  no  record 
of  a  larger  vessel  until  the  fall  of  1808,  when  John  Stevens 
offers  a  proposal  for  the  formation  of  a  company  to  operate 
a  steamboat  to  New  Brunswick.  This  makes  it  altogether 
probable  that  the  "Phenix"  was  commenced  some  time  during 
the  winter  or  spring  of  1808  and  completed  in  the  following 
fall,  when  the  trip  was  made  as  recorded  in  the  proposal. 
There  is  every  reason  to  believe  the  plans  for  the  vessel 
were  not  worked  out  until  after  the  small  vessel  was  found 
a  success.  Or  could  this  have  been  one  of  his  former  experi- 
mental vessels  that  had  been  lengthened?  The  "Clermont" 
was  lengthened  the  same  winter.  She  was  not  called  "Phenix" 


KXL* KIM  MENTAL    STAGE.  39 

till  just  before  leaving  for  Philadelphia.  The  space  that  has 
been  given  to  this  vessel  is  not  because  of  its  success  as  a 
steam  vessel,  though  it  was  the  first  out  and  out  American- 
built  steam  vessel,  but  to  present  many  facts  connected  with 
its  career  that  have  not  been  handed  down  to  us.  In  that 
regard  tradition  has  been  remiss  in  her  duties.  There  cannot 
be  found  any  license  or  enrollment  for  this  vessel  either  at 
New  York,  Philadelphia,  or  Perth  Amboy,  N.  J. 

Livingston  and  Fulton,  holding  control  of  the  navigation 
of  the  waters  of  New  York  State  by  steam  vessels,  and, after 
it  had  been  demonstrated  that  they  were  successful  in  pro- 
pelling a  vessel  by  steam  as  required  by  the  conditions  of  the 
act  giving  them  the  exclusive  rights,  brought  more  clearly 
to  the  minds  of  the  people  the  monopoly  held  by  them,  and 
doubts  were  entertained  by  many  whether  such  a  grant  was 
valid. 

^l  In  1810  a  company  was  formed  at  Albany  who  put  on 
the  river  in  1811  two  boats,  named  respectively  "Hope"  and 
"Perseverance,"  in  opposition  to  the  Livingston  &  Fulton 
line,  which  brought  the  matter  to  a  crisis.  These  boats  were 
originally  built  to  be  driven  by  engines  with  a  "Pendlum" 
motion,  but  after  a  trial  on  a  small  scale  that  project  was 
abandoned  and  steam  engines  and  boilers,  built  by  Robert 
McQueen,  of  New  York,  were  placed- on  board.  Livingston 
and  Fulton  now  applied  for  a  perpetual  injunction  against 
the  opposition  company  and,  after  the  case  had  been  carried 
through  the  courts  of  the  State,  it  was  granted.  They  were 
subsequently  delivered  to  Fulton  and  Livingston  who  broke 
them  up  in  1813^ 

To  further  strengthen  themselves  against  any  opposition, 
Fulton  applied  for  another  patent,  which  was  granted  Feb- 
ruary llth,  1811,  to  be  more  fully  protected  regarding  the 
application  of  paddle  wheels  and  other  parts  of  his  steam 
engine.  Also,  on  April  9th,  1811,  an  act  was  passed  by  the 
New  York  legislature  for  the  further  protection  of  the  privi- 
leges granted  to  Livingston  and  Fulton. 

By  the  force  of  these  enactments  all  opposition  to  the 
monopoly  was  for  a  time  silenced,  until  Aaron  Ogden,  Gover 
nor  of  New  Jersey,  petitioned  the  legislature  of  New  York 
to  remove  the  restriction,  and  that  he  be  allowed  to  run  a 


40  EXPERIMENTAL    STAGE. 

steamboat,  which  he  had  constructed,  between  Elizabethtown 
in;New  Jersey  and  New  York  City.  This  steamboat  was  built 
by  Aaron  Ogden  in  1811  and  named  "Sea  Horse/'  It  was 
75  feet  keel  and  14  feet  beam,  and  fitted  with  a  lever-beam 
engine  from  the  designs  of  Daniel  Dod,  having  the  beam  and 
connecting  rod  of  woodl  This  was  the  pioneer  of  the  Amer- 
ican beam  engine.  A  few  more  of  the  same  type  were  built 
at  a  later  date.  This  petition  was  referred  to  a  committee 
in  the  Assembly  of  the  legislature  who  reported  March  8th, 
1814,  "that  as  Ogden's  boat  had  been  duly  enrolled  for 
the  coasting  trade,  and  as  the  steamboats  of  Livingston  and 
Fulton  are  in  substance  the  invention  of  John  Fitch,  patented 
in  1791  to  him,  and  after  the  expiration  of  his  patent  common 
to  all  citizens  of  the  United  States,  and  as  Ogden  had  built 
his  boat  upon  principles  invented  by  Fitch,  which  had  been 
improved  by  Daniel  Dod,  it  was  questionable  whether  a  State 
had  the  power  to  pass  any  law  interfering  with  the  power 
of  Congress  to  regulate  commerce  between  the  States";  and 
the  act  of  1811  they  declared  to  be  unjust,  "that  it  shuts  the 
courts  of  justice  of  this  State  against  any  person  who  may  be 
desirous  of  bringing  to  a  legal  test  the  rights  claimed  by 
Livingston  and  Fulton,  as  by  the  provisions  of  that  act  the 
defendant  in  any  suit  to  be  commenced  by  them  must  lose 
his  boat  and  his  machinery,  even  should  he  eventually  gain 
his  cause."  The  bill,  with  some  changes,  was  passed  by  the 
Assembly,  but  rejected  in  the  Senate. 

Livingston  and  Fulton  now  compromised  the  matter  with 
Ogden  by  giving  him  permission  to  run  his  steamboat  on  his 
ferry  route  under  the  privileges  held  by  them  for  ten  years. 
Thomas  Gibbons,  of  Savannah,  Ga.,  who  was  a  part-owner 
in  the  ferry  with  OgdenJ  subsequently  opened  an  opposition 
ferry  line  to  Ogden,  and  it  was  on  this  route  that  Commodore 
Cornelius  Vanderbilt  was  captain  on  the  "Bellona."  Gibbons, 
in  order  to  test  the  validity  of  the  grant  of  the  exclusive  privi- 
lege by  'the  State  of  New  York,  put  on  two  steamboats,  the 
"Stoudinger"  and  the  "Bellona"  between  Elizabethtown  and 
New  York  City,  adjacent  to  the  ferry  run  by  Ogden  under  the 
Livingston  &  Fulton  privilege.  Ogden  applied  to  the  New 
York  State  courts  for  an  injunction,  which  was  granted,  pro- 
hibiting Gibbons  from  running  his  vessels  upon  the  waters  of 


EXPERIMENTAL    STAGE.  41 

the  State.  The  case  was  subsequently  carried  to  the  United 
States  Supreme  Court,  where  in  1824  a  decree  was  entered 
against  Ogden,  thus  breaking  down  the  steamboat  monopoly 
that  had  existed  in  New  York  State  for  17  years.  The  long 
and  costly  legal  contest  ruined  Ogden  financially. 

Fulton  in  returning  from  Trenton,  N.  J.,  where  he  had 
been  attending  court  in  the  case  of  Livingston  vs.  Ogden,  con- 
tracted a  severe  cold,  from  the  effects  of  which  he  died  on 
Feb.  24,  1815.  Robert  R.  Livingston,  who  had  been  associated 
with  Fulton  in  his  steamboat  enterprises,  died  about  a  year 
previous. 

\  In  the  spring  of  1813  there  were  in  service  in  New  York 
waters,  three  steamboats  running  to  Albany,  one  to  Amboy, 
N.  J.,  one  to  Tappan,  and  one  to  Elizabethtown,  N.  J.  The 
"Fulton"  was  building  at  this  time  for  the  New  Haven  route, 
but  was  not  placed  in  service  until  1815.  There  were  also  the 
ferryboats  to  Brooklyn  and  Jersey  City.  At  the  same  time 
there  were  six  passenger  steamboats  and  ferryboats  at  Phila- 
delphia, Pa.\ 

Fulton's  boats  were  mostly  fitted  with  masts  and  sails, 
with  a  flush  main  deck,  except  around  engine  and  boiler,  with 
an  awning  covering  a  space  for  passengers  near  the  stem  and 
stern,  which  they  used  in  pleasant  weather.  There  were  no 
pilot  houses  on  these  vessels,  the  pilots  being  exposed  to  the 
weather  during  the  performance  of  their  duties. 

Up  to  1813  all  of  Fulton's  boats  were  built  with  flat  bot- 
toms, their  bows  very  much  like  to  our  canal  boats  of  the  pres- 
ent day,  the  several  horizontal  sections  being  similar  in  mould 
to  each  other.  It  was  not  until  the  "Fulton"  was  built  in  1813 
that  a  "dead  rise"  was  given  to  the  floors  of  a  steamboat,  and 
a  keel  made  use  of  to  strengthen  the  hull,  as  the  boats  pre- 
vious to  this  date  when  in  motion  "worked"  so  much  that  their 
life-time  was  short  compared  to  those  in  after  years. 

After  building  the  "Clermont"  Fulton  erected  a  machine 
shop  at  Jersey  City,  near  where  Secor  &  Co.  built  the  Monitors 
for  the  U.  S.  Government  during  1863,  where  he  built  some  of 
the  engines  for  his  later  boats  and  made  the  repairs  to  the  ma- 
chinery. There  was  also  a  railway  for  repairs  to  the  hulls  of 
the  vessels.  The  iron  castings  were  purchased  from  Robert 
McQueen,  and  also  from  John  Youle,  both  of  New  York.  The 


42  EXPERIMENTAL    STAGE. 

brass  work  was  furnished  by  James  P.  Allaire,  who  com- 
menced business  in  1806,  and  who  in  after  years  established 
the  Allaire  Works.  These  repair  shops  wrere  removed  to  the 
foot  of  Beach  Street,  New  York  City,  in  the  fall  of  1811,  but 
they  were  burned  out  during  the  same  winter.  They  were 
shortly  after  rebuilt.  These  works  had  the  only  boring  mill 
at  that  time  for  boring  out  large  cylinders  outside  of  the  one 
at  McQueen's  foundry  in  Duane  Street,  New  York. 

The  North  River  Steamboat  Company  lost  a  valuable  em- 
ployee when  Louis  Rhoda,  the  principal  engineer  of  the  Com- 
pany, was  crushed  to  death  in  the  machinery  of  the  "Nassau" 
on  'the  Brooklyn  ferry  on  May  10th,  1814.  There  were  but  few 
engineers  in  this  country  at  that  period,  as  the  number  of 
steamboats  was  small.  He  was  a  trusted  assistant  of  Robert 
Fulton,  and  had  been  with  him  as  an  engineer  in  some  of  the 
law  suits  of  the  Company  to  protect  their  legal  rights  from 
infringement. 

In  1815,  after  the  death  of  Fulton,  James  P.  Allaire  leased 
the  shops,  and  shortly  after  obtained  the  contract  for  the 
building  of  the  engine  and  boiler  for  the  "Chancellor  Livings- 
ton," which  were  finished  early  in  the  following  year.  This 
was  the  largest  steamboat  that  had  been  built  by  the  North 
River  Company  and  cost  complete  one  hundred  and  twenty 
thousand  dollars.  In  1816,  James  P.  Allaire  moved  all  the 
tools  and  machinery  to  his  brass  foundry  in  Cherry  Street, 
New  York,  and  it  was  then  and  there  that  he  laid  the  founda- 
tion for  the  largest  and  finest  steam-engine  works  of  its  day. 
It  was  here  that  the  only  planing  machine  in  the  country  was 
to  be  found  in  1828,  and  that  was  originally  built  for  other 
than  steam-engine  work. 

All  of  the  steamboats  enrolled  at  the  New  York  Custom 
House  from  1808  to  1820  consist  of  the  following  vessels,  viz.: 

"North  River  Steamboat  of  Clerniont,"  1808,  details  on 

another  page. 

"Car  of  Neptune,"  1808;  175'x24'x8'. 
"Paragon,"  Nov.  9,  1811;  167'x26'10x7'9. 
"Fire  Fly,"  Sept.,  1812;  81'xl4'x4'5. 
"Richmond,"  July  6,  1814;  154'x28'x9'. 
"Chancellor  Livingston,"  157'x33'6xlO'3, 


44  EXPERIMENTAL    STAGE. 

built  by  Henry  Eckford  and  enrolled  in  the  name  of  Dominick 
Lynch,  Jr.,  March  29,  1817. 

All  of  the  above-named  vessels  were  of  the  North  River 
Steamboat  Company,  and  the  hulls  were  constructed  by 
Charles  Brown,  with  the  exception  of  the  "Chancellor  Living- 
ston." "Raritan,"  1809,  details  on  another  page.  "Hope," 
1811,  built  at  Albany,  N.  Y.,  for  James  Van  Ingen  and  others; 
was  149'x20'x7'7.  Passed  into  the  possession  of  the  North 
River  Steamboat  Company  in  April,  1813.  There  was 
a  mate  named  "Perseverance."  "Stoudinger,"  1816,  built 
by  Tunis  Bergh  for  James  P.  Allaire  for  an  experiment  with 
his  system  of  paddles,  but  subsequently  became  Cornelius 
Vanderbilt's  "Mouse  in  the  Mountain";  was  47'xl2'x4'10. 
"Emeline,"  1818,  built  by  David  Brown  for  John  Fowler  and 
Frederick  Baits  of  New  York;  was  47'xl5'x5'.  "Manhattan," 
Nov.  2,  1819,  built  by  Noah  Brown  at  New  York  for  the  New 
Orleans  &  Louisville  Steamboat  Company,  consisting  of  Rich- 
ard Hopkins  and  Robert  McQueen  and  others  of  New  York; 
was  144'x31'4xlO'.  Was  sent  to  New  Orleans,  La. 

The  first  steamboat  excursion  appears  to  have  been  at  an 
early  date.  The  "Fulton"  was  built  to  run  on  the  New  York 
&  New  Haven  route,  but  when  completed  the  war  with  Great 
Britain  was  on  in  earnest  and  it  was  thought  to  be  unwise  to 
open  the  line  as  the  British  naval  vessels  were  very  active  in 
the  east  end  of  Long  Island  Sound  at  that  time.  Before  going 
on  the  Albany  route,  on  May  25,  1814,  she  was  sent  on  an  ex- 
cursion to  Sandy  Hook,  N.  J.,  where  there  were  50  passengers 
carried,  who  were  each  charged  f.3.00  for  the  pleasure  of  the 
sail  to  the  Atlantic  ocean. 

The  "Phenix,"  on  Lake  Champlain,  N.  Y.,  commenced  run- 
ning from  Whitehall  in  Sept.,  1815,  under  Fulton's  privilege. 


TJ,  S.  SUPREME  COURT. 

February,  1824. 
Gibbons  vs.  Ogden. 

Decree. — This  cause  came  on  to  be  heard  on  the  transcript 
of  the  record  of  the  court  for  the  trial  of  impeachments  and 
corrections  of  errors  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  was  argued 


EXPERIMENTAL    STAGE.  45 

by  counsel.  On  consideration  whereof,  this  court  is  of  opinion 
that  the  several  licenses  to  the  steamboats,  "The  Stoudinger," 
and  "The  Bellona,"  to  carry  on  the  coasting  trade,  which  are 
set  up  by  the  appellant,  Thomas  Gibbons,  in  answer  to  the 
bill  of  the  respondent,  Aaron  Ogden,  filed  in  the  court  of  chan- 
cery for  the  State  of  New  York,  which  were  granted  under  an 
act  of  Congress,  passed  in  pursuance  of  the  constitution  of 
the  United  States,  gave  full  authority  to  those  vessels  to  navi- 
gate the  waters  of  the  United  States,  by  steam  or  otherwise, 
for  the  purpose  of  carrying  on  the  coasting  trade,  any  law  of 
the  State  of  New  York  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding,  and 
that  so  much  of  the  several  laws  of  the  State  of  New  York,  as 
prohibits  vessels  licensed  according  to  the  laws  of  the  United 
States  from  navigating  the  waters  of  the  State  of  New  York 
by  means  of  fire  or  steam,  is  repugnant  to  the  said  constitu- 
tion, and  void.  This  court  is,  therefore,  of  opinion  that  the  de- 
cree of  the  court  of  State  of  New  York  for  the  trial  of  im- 
peachments and  the  corrections  of  errors,  affirming  the  decree 
of  the  Chancellor  of  that  State,  which  perpetually  enjoins  the 
said  Thomas  Gibbons,  the  appellant,  from  navigating  the 
waters  of  the  State  of  New  York,  with  the  steamboats  "The 
Stoudinger,"  and  "The  Bellona"  by  steam  or  fire,  is  erroneous, 
and  ought  to  be  reversed,  and  the  same  is  hereby  reversed, 
and  annulled.  And  this  court  doth  hereby  direct,  order,  and 
decree,  that  the  bill  of  the  said  Aaron  Ogden  be  dismissed,  and 
the  same  is  hereby  dismissed  accordingly. 


CHAPTER  II. 

HUDSON  RIVER. 

NEW  YORK  TO  ALBANY  AND  TROY. 


FTER  the  decision  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
United  States  in  1824  in  the  case  of  Gibbons 
against  Ogden,  which  removed  all  barriers  to  the 
free  navigation  of  the  rivers  of  the  United  States 
by  boats  propelled  "by  fire  or  steam,"  the  num- 
ber of  steamboats  increased  on  the  Hudson  river  both  by  new 
vessels  that  were  built  for  that  service  as  well  as  those  that 
were  brought  there  from  other  States.'  These  vessels  were 
great  improvements  in  both  passenger  accommodations  and 
speed  over  the  vessels  that  belonged  to  the  North  River  Com- 
pany, that  had  for  such  a  long  time  the  control  of  the  water 
transportation  of  the  Hudson  River.  Opposition  lines  at  once 
sprung  up.  The  old  line  in  1825  was  composed  of  the  "James 
Kent"  364  tons,  "Hudson"  170  tons,  "Chief  Justice  Marshall" 
300  tons,  and  "Saratoga"  250  tons.  In  the  same  year  the  Hud- 
son River  line  was  started  with  two  new  boats,  the  "Constitu- 
tion" and  the  "Constellation,"  to  which  was  added  the  "Inde- 
pendence" in  1827.  In  1828  the  "De  Witt  Clinton"  was  put  on 
the  river  by  parties  in  Albany.  In  1827  Robert  L.  Stevens  had 
the  "North  America,"  the  "Albany,"  and  the  "New  Philadel- 
phia" on  the  Albany  route.  John  Stevens  and  his  sons  had 
refused  to  enter  into  competition  on  the  river  as  long  as  the 
Fulton  line  was  in  active  service,  but  on  their  withdrawal 
from  business  in  1826  the  Stevens  became  very  active  in  pas- 
senger transportation  on  the  river  and  remained  so  for  several 
years.  All  of  the  lines  were  consolidated  in  1832  under  the  title 
of  the  New  York,  Albany  &  Troy  line,  or  Hudson  River  Steam- 
boat Association,  to  which  were  added  subsequently  other 
and  new  boats  when  they  run  both  night  and  day  boats.  It 
might  be  here  stated  that  the  only  lighthouses  on  the  river 
prior  to  1840  were  Stony  Point  light,  Esopus  Meadows  light, 

46 


B'i 


48  HUDSON   RIVER. 

Rondout  light,  Saugerties  light,  Four-Mile  Point  light,  Stuy 
vesant  light,  Coxsackie  light. 

In  1822  Robert  L.  Stevens  substituted  for  the  heavy  solid 
cast-iron  working  beam  of  the  marine  engine,  the  "skeleton" 
beam  of  iron  with  a  wrought-iron  strap.  The  skeleton  beam 
of  the  engine  in  the  ferryboat  "Hoboken"  was  not  the  first 
skeleton  beam,  though  no  doubt  the  first  of  iron.  There  was 
one  made  of  wood  in  use  on  a  pumping  engine  in  Holland, 
having  a  cylinder  of  52  inches  diameter  that  was  constructed 
prior  to  1802,  and  probably  the  beam  of  this  engine  furnished 
the  idea  for  the  skeleton  beam  of  the  marine  engine. 

In  1824  James  P.  Allaire  built  the  first  compound  engine 
for  the  "Henry  Eckford,"  having  cylinders  of  12  inches  and  24 
inches  diameter  by  4  feet  stroke,  and  afterwards  several  others 
for  the  Hudson  river,  among  them  being  the  "Sun,"  having 
cylinders  of  16  inches  and  30  inches  diameter  by  4  feet  stroke, 
said  to  have  made  the  trip  from  New  York  to  Albany  in  1826 
in  12  hours  and  16  minutes.  Three  of  the  Swiftsure  line  of 
towboats  on  the  river  that  towed  the  Safety  Barges  at  this 
time  also  had  compound  engines,  of  which  line  William  C. 
Redfield  was  the  chief  engineer.  Regarding  these  safety 
barges,  the  following  copy  of  an  advertisement  will  show  the 
purpose  for  which  they  were  brought  into  use: 

"Passengers  on  board  the  Safety  Barges  will  not  be  in  the 
least  exposed  to  any  accident  by  reason  of  the  fire  or 
steam  on  board  the  steamboats.  The  noise  of  the  machinery, 
the  trembling  of  the  boat,  the  heat  from  the  furnace,  boilers, 
and  kitchen,  and  everything  which  may  be  considered  un- 
pleasant on  board  a  steamboat  are  entirely  avoided." 

These  passenger  Safety  Barges  were  run  in  the  summer 
season  from  1825  to  1829,  and  under  favorable  conditions 
made  eight  or  nine  miles  an  hour.  The  increase  in  the  speed 
and  accommodations  of  steamboats  during  that  period  drew 
the  passenger  business  from  these  barges,  so  that  they  were 
discontinued  after  1829  for  want  of  patronage. 

Time  of  these  towboats  and  barges  in  1825  was  from  18 
to  20  hours. 

In  1826  the  "New  Philadelphia,"  built  at  Philadelphia, 
Pa.,  and  belonging  to  Robt.  L.  Stevens,  was  placed  on  the  New 
York  and  Albany  route.  This  vessel  and  her  machinery  was 


50  HUDSON   RIVER. 

the  subject  of  many  changes  and  experiments.  It  was  after 
running  a  few  trips  that  a  false  bow  was  added  to  the  vessel 
to  give  her  water  lines  an  easier  entrance.  This  addition  was 
built  up  from  the  keel  and  about  two  feet  above  the  surface 
of  the  water,  decked  over  and  caulked,  and  carried  back  far 
enough  on  the  hull  of  the  vessel  to  make  it  secure.  The  ves- 
sel had  no  less  than  six  false  stems  at  different  periods.  It  is 
said  that  Mr.  Stevens  applied  to  Bell  &  Brown,  who  were 
among  New  York's  best  shipbuilders,  to  place  the  false  bow 
on  the  vessel,  but  they  refused,  as  they  said  it  would  be  a 
subject  of  ridicule,  and  they  did  not  desire  to  do  what  seemed 
to  them  an  unsightly  piece  of  work.  The -work  was  done  at 
the  Hoboken  yards. 

False  bows  were  also  placed  on  the  "North  America,"  the 
"Albany/'  the  "Trenton,"  the  "Novelty,"  and  the  "Constitu- 
tion'' at  a  later  date. 

The  "New  Philadelphia"  had  an  experimental  trip  from 
New  York  to  Albany  on  August  24th,  1826,  time  12  hours  and 
23  minutes,  being  the  shortest  time  on  record  at  that  time  be- 
tween those  points.  A  daily  paper  of  New  York  City  has  the 
following  advertisement  oh  August  26th,  1826: 

"The  low-pressure  steamboat  /'New  Philadelphia"  will 
commence  her  regular  trips  to  and  from  Albany  on  Tuesday, 
the  29th.  She  will  leave  the  dock  foot  of  Courtland  street,  for- 
merly occupied  by  the  North  River  Co.,  on  Tuesdays,  Thurs- 
days and  Saturdays,  and  Albany  on  Mondays,  Wednesdays 
and  Fridays.  She  will  land  and  receive  passengers  at  the 
usual  landings.  The  "New  Philadelphia"  was  constructed  by 
R.  L.  Stevens.  She  has  a  low-pressure  engine,  and  her  boilers 
are  not  on  board  the  boat,  but  are  so  placed  over  the  water 
on  her  guards,  which  project  from  her  sides,  as  to  render  it  al- 
most impossible  that  any  passengers  should  receive  injury 
from  an  accident  to  the  boiler.  From  the  strength  of  the  boat 
and  the  construction  of  her  machinery  there  is  little  or  no 
jar  in  any  part  of  the  vessel.  Her  cabins  are  light,  airy,  and 
spacious — elegantly  fitted  up  with  mahogany,  maple  and  mar- 
ble. Her  dining-room  is  44x22  feet,  and  decorated  with  a 
variety  of  paintings. 

"It  is  expected  from  the  trip  lately  made  that  her  pas- 
sages, from  a  difference  in  wind  and  tides,  may  vary  from  10 


HUDSON   EIVER.  51 

to  14  hours,  so  that  at  this  season  of  the  year  passengers  may 
calculate  on  being  landed  at  Albany  before  dark!" 

The  engine  of  this  vessel  also  had  balanced  poppet  valves, 
and  wrought-iron  side  pipes  about  30  inches  diameter,  fitted 
to  her  engine  at  a  very  early  date.  These  latter  were  used  for 
several  years. 

Prof.  Kenwick,  in  his  treatise  on  the  Steam  Engine,  says: 
"In  a  passage  made  by  the  author  on  the  Hudson,  in  1829,  the 
wheels  of  the  "New  Philadelphia"  averaged  25%  revolutions 
per  minute,  and  the  piston  moved  with  a  velocity  of  405  feet 
per  minute,  being  21  feet  more  than  on  the  "North  America." 

The  North  America  was  built  by  R.  L.  Stevens  in  1827, 
with  a  pair  of  beam  engines,  and  as  she  was  a  light-built  ves- 
sel he  put  in  her  a  frame  or  truss  for  stiffening  the  hull.  This 
was  the  first  framing  of  the  kind  for  a  similar  purpose  that 
had  been  made  use  of.  The  vessel  had  a  "spoon  bow,"  and  her 
water  lines  were  hard.  The  average  number  of  revolutions  of 
her  engines  were  about  24  per  minute,  and  steam  pressure 
from  9  to  12  inches. 


XIn  1830  the  piers  in  New  York  City  of  the  several  North 
Eiver  lines  were: 

North  River  line,  foot  of  Barclay  Street. 

Hudson  River  line,  foot  of  Courtland  Street. 

Newburg  line,  foot  of  Albany  Street. 

Tarrytown,  Sing  Sing,  and  Peekskill,  foot  of  Warren  and 
Murray  Streets. 

Safety  barges  for  Albany,  Battery  Place. 

The  "DeWitt  Clinton"  in  April,  1831,  left  Albany  at  4 
minutes  past  4  in  the  afternoon,  and  arrived  at  the  foot  of 


52  HUDSON    RIVER. 

Barclay  Street,  New  York,  12  minutes  before  3  next  morning, 
making  the  trip,  including  landings,  in  10  hours  and  44  min- 
utes ;>Albany  to  Hudson,  1  hour  and  54  minutes;  Hudson  to 
Catslull,  0  hours  22  minutes;  Catskill  to  Khinebeck,  1  hour  38 
minutes;  Rhinebeck  to  Poughkeepsie,  1  hour  10  minutes; 
Poughkeepsie  to  Newburg,  1  hour  0  minutes ;  Newburg  to  New 
York,  4  hours  and  20  minutes. 

In  1830,  Dr.  Eliphalet  Nott,  then  President  of  Union  Col- 
lege at  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  and  inventor  of  the  anthracite 
coal-burning  stove  for  domestic  use,  had  built  at  Hyde  Park  on 
the  Hudson  Kiver,  by  Ghauncey  Goodrich,  the  hull  of  a  steam- 
boat 175  feet  long  which,  when  completed,  was  named  the 
"Novelty."  The  engines  of  this  boat  were  built  at  "Burnt  Mill 
Point"  on  the  East  Kiver  near  the  foot  of  Fourteenth  street, 
New  York  City,  and  it  was  from  the  building  of  these  engines 
that  the  Novelty  Works,  which  in  after  years  become  so  fa- 
mous as  a  marine  engine  works,  received  their  name.  Dr.  Nott 
had  associated  with  him  Neziah  Bliss,  who  had  seen  consider- 
able service  in  building  and  commanding  steam  vessels  on  our 
western  rivers.  This  vessel  was  fitted  with  a  pair  of  high- 
pressure  engines,*  one  on  each  guard,  with  cylinders  30  inches 
in  diameter  and  6  feet  stroke,  with  single  poppet  valves  oper- 
ated by  levers,  connected  to  the  separate  water  wheel  shafts. 
Steam  was  furnished  by  four  sets,  of  three  each,  tubular  boil- 
ers of  40  inches  diameter  each,  that  are  credited  with  being 
the  first  for  marine  purposes  that  were  of  any  success.  This 
vessel  made  a  few  trips  to  Albany  with  fair  time  to  her  credit, 
but  her  career  appears  to  have  been  short-lived,  as  originally 
built.  Her  motive  power  was  the  subject  of  many  experi- 
ments. 

In  the  "Mechanics'  Magazine"  of  1835  is  a  letter  to  the 
editor  saying:  "Being  in  New  York  a  few  days  since  and 
hearing  of  a  large  establishment  called  the  Novelty  Works, 
said  to  be  owned  by  Dr.  Nott  and  others,  I  procured  from  a 
friend  a  note  of  introduction  to  a  gentleman  who  was  one  of 
the  partners  and  visited  the  place.  ...  I  found  an  immense 

*It  is  given  to  me  upon  good  authority  that  the  "Novelty"  at  first 
had  a  single  high-pressure  engine  built  at  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  but  this 
was  removed  shortly  after  her  completion,  and  the  pair  built  at  New 
York  substituted. 


54  HUDSON   RIVER. 

establishment,  in  which  were  carried  on  all  the  different 
branches  and  operations  in  any  way  connected  with  making 
stoves,  steam  engines,  boilers,  and  almost  every  other  article 
of  large  machinery,  and  even  steamboats." 

Y\In  June,  1835,  Daniel  Drew,  A.  P.  St.  John,  and  others, 
started  an  opposition  as  the  "People's  line,"  with  the  "West- 
chester,"  a  small  boat  of  134'x23'x8',  and  the  "Emerald,"  a 
little  larger,  of  156'x23'x8',  to  Albany,  as  day  boats  with 
landings,  the  passenger  accommodations  of  each  vessel  being 
for  not  over  150  passengers.^  This  enterprise  may  be  said  to 
have  been  the  nucleus  of  the  present  People's  line. 

Daniel  Drew's  first  interest  in  steamboats  is  believed  to 
have  been  in  the  "Water  Witch,"  in  1832,  then  a  new  boat  run- 
ning to  Hartford,  Conn. 

There  were  during  the  period  between  1830  and  1840  sev- 
eral steamboats  built  for  service  in  the  waters  adjacent  to 
New  York,  but  none  commanded  so  much  attention  as  the 
"Rochester"  and  the  "Swallow,"  built  in  1836. 

The  "Rochester"  was  built  for  the  opposition  company, 
and  the  "Swallow"  for  Anthony  N.  Hoffman  of  New  York 
City,  and  others,  who  ran  her  in  the  interests  of  the  North 
River  line.  This  was  the  first  lively  and  determined  opposi- 
tion that  had  been  met  on  the  Albany  route,  and  what  made 
it  more  so  was  the  equal,  or  nearly  so,  speed  of  the  two  boats. 
They  have  been  known  when  racing  to  have  made  over  28 
revolutions  of  their  wheels  per  minute,  with  40  Ibs.  and  over 
of  steam,  while  their  average  pressure  was  about  20  Ibs.  and 
24  revolutions. 

This  opposition  was  kept  up  for  about  five  years,  with 
racing  at  frequent  intervals,  and  during  all  this  time  they 
were  the  acknowledged  fast  boats  of  the  river.  The  best  time 
made  between  New  York  and  Albany,  by  either  one  of  these 
boats,  was  about  nine  hours.  The  "Swallow"  had  single  pop- 
pet valves  and  the  "Rochester"  double  poppet  valves. 

These  two  boats  were  each  subjected  to  changes  and  al-f 
terations  after  running  a  year.  The  "Swallow"  was  lengthened 
24  feet;  when  first  built  was  considered  an  inferior  vessel  as 
regards  speed;  had  a  46-inch  cylinder  replaced  by  a  52-inch 
cylinder,  and  her  water-wheels  increased  in  diameter.  The 
"Rochester"  had  her  power  increased  by  the  substitution  of  a 


HUDSON   RIVER.  55 

50-inch  cylinder  for  a  43-inch,  which  was  the  size  of  her  origi- 
nal cylinder.  Both  of  these  boats  had  return  flue  boilers  of 
iron,  and  burned  about  18  to  20  cords  of  wood  on  an  average 
each  trip,  but  when  racing  together,  which  was  quite  often, 
and  taking  the  season  through  there  was  very  little  choice  be- 
tween them,  they  would  burn  23  to  25  cords  per  trip.  The 
engines  of  both  of  these  boats  were  built  at  the  West  Point 
Foundry,  at  that  time  located  at  the  foot  of  Beach  Street,  New 
York  City,  but  was  removed  to  Cold  Spring  on  the  Hudson 
River  in- 1839. 

Matters  had  got  to  such  a  state  between  these  two  steam- 
boats, after  running  nearly  one  season,  that  the  suspense  could 
no  longer  be  endured  by  those  interested,  so  a  match  was  at 
last  agreed  on  to  test  their  relative  speeds.  It  was  decided 
that  they  should  both  make  the  trial  without  either  one  carry- 
ing any  passengers,  only  those  who  were  necessary  to  the 
working  of  the  vessels  and  their  machinery  being  permitted 
to  accompany  them.  They  started  from  near  Jersey  City  ferry 
at  4  p.  m.,  on  the  afternoon  of  Nov.  8,  1836,  each  prepared  to 
do  their  best.  They  steamed  up  the  river  within  sight  of  one 
another  all  the  time,  the  "Swallow"  having  the  advantage. 
All  had  worked  smoothly  and  without  a  mishap  during  all  the 
driving  and  straining  to  keep  at  the  head  of  the  procession 
until  they  were  just  below  Hudson,  when  the  engine  of  the 
"Swallow''  became  partially  disabled  that  made  it  necessary 
to  slacken  her  speed  for  a  few  minutes,  when  she  was  put  un- 
der full  headway  again,  and  they  arrived  at  Van  Wies  Point, 
which  is  140  miles  from  New  York,  the  "Rochester"  in  8 
hours  and  57  minutes,  and  the  "Swallow"  in  9  hours  and  2 
minutes,  the  "Rochester"  winning  by  5  minutes.  When  the 
"Swallow"  was  "slowed  up"  she  was  4  minutes  or  about  a 
mile  ahead.  The  tide  for  the  greater  part  of  the  distance  was 
against  the  boats.  This  was  a  very  close  termination  of  the 
race,  and  if  the  "Swallow"  had  not  been  compelled  to  slow 
down,  it  was  the  opinion  on  both  boats  that  the  end  would 
have  been  a  close  finish;  but  accidents  will  happen  to  steam- 
boats as  well  as  to  other  means  of  conveyance.  This  race 
did  not  settle  the  question,  for  they  were  often  afterwards  en- 
gaged in  trials  of  speed  while  on  their  trips,  with  the  "Swal- 
low" as  often  as  the  "Rochester"  the  victor. 


56  HUDSON   RIVER. 

A  short  time  after  building  the  "Rochester,"  the  same 
company  bought  the  "Utica,"  that  was  then  building  for  other 
parties,  and  added  as  consort  to  the  "Rochester."  She  was  a 
smaller  boat  and  no  match  for  the  racers. 

David  Stevenson,  an  English  engineer,  in  his  work  on 
"Engineering  in  North  America,"  written  in  1838,  gives  a  very 
interesting  account  of  a  trip  he  made  in  1837  on  the  "Roches- 
ter" from  Albany  to  New  York,  in  which  he  says : 

"The  Rochester"  and  the  "Swallow"  were  said  to  be  the 
two  fastest  boats  running  on  the  Hudson  in  1837.  I  made  a 
trip  from  Albany  to  New  York  in  the  "Rochester,"  on  the  14th 
of  June,  on  which  occasion,  with  a  view  to  test  the  vessel's 
speed,  I  carefully  noted  the  time  of  departure  from  Albany, 
the  times  of  touching  at  the  several  towns  and  landing  places 
on  the  river,  with  the  reputed  distance  between  them,  the 
number  of  minutes  lost  at  each  place,  and  the  hour  of  her  ar- 
rival at  New  York.  Thirteen  stoppages,  which  I  found  to 
average  three  minutes  each,  were  made  to  land  and  take  on 
passengers.  .  The  "Rochester"  performed  the  voyage  in  10 
hours  and  40  minutes.  From  this  39  minutes  must  be  de- 
ducted for  the  time  lost  in  making  the  13  stoppages,  which 
leaves  10  hours  and  1  minute  as  the  time  during  which  the 
vessel  was  actually  occupied  in  running  from  Albany  to  New 
York.  Assuming  the  distance  between  those  places  to  be  150 
miles,  the  average  speed  of  the  vessel  throughout  the  trip 
was  14.97  miles  per  hour,  but  even  if  we  assume  the  distance 
to  be  only  145  miles,  which  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  is 
too  small,  the  average  rate  is  still  14.47  miles  per  hour.  The 
current  was  in  the  "Rochester's"  favor  during  the  first  part  of 
the  voyage,  but  the  Overslaugh  Shoals,  and  the  contracted  and 
narrow  state  of  the  navigable  channel  of  the  river  for  about 
30  miles  below  Albany,  checked  her  progress,  and  consequent- 
ly for  the  first  27  miles  her  speed  was  only  12.36  miles  per 
hour.  This  was  her  average  rate  of  sailing  during  the  part  of 
.her  course  when  her  speed  was  the  lowest.  After  the  first  30 
miles  the  river  expanded,  affording  a  better  navigable  channel, 
when  her  speed  gradually  increased,  and  before  the  flowing 
tide  checked  her  progress  the  vessel  attained  the  maximum 
velocity  indicated  by  my  observations,  which  between  two  of 
the  stopping  places  was  16.55  miles  per  hour.  When  going  at 


HUDSON    RIVER.  57 

this  speed  it  is  possible  that  she  was  influenced  by  some  slight 
degree  of  current  in  her  favor,  although  it  was  quite  impercep- 
tible to  the  eye,  as  the  flow  of  the  tide  appeared  to  produce  a 
stagnation  of  the  water  in  the  river.  At  West  Point  we  en- 
countered the  flood  tide,  as  was  very  distinctly  proved  by  the 
swinging  of  the  vessels  which  lay  at  anchor  in  the  river.  Af- 
ter this  we.  had  an  adverse  current  all  the  way  to  New  York, 
a  distance  of  about  50  miles,  and  the  vessel's  speed  during 
this  part  of  the  voyage  averaged  14.22  miles  an  hour.  About 


UTICA. 

one-half  of  the  voyage  was  thus  performed  with  a  favorable 
current,  and  the  other  half  was  performed  under  unfavorable 
circumstances,  owing  partly  to  the  shallowness  of  the  water, 
and  the  narrowness  of  the  channel  in  the  upper  part  of  the 
river,  and  partly  to  an  adverse  tide  in  the  lower  part  of  it. 

"When  the  "Rochester"  is  pitted  against  another  vessel, 
and  going  at  her  full  speed,  her  piston  makes  27  double  strokes 
per  minute.  On  the  voyage  above  alluded  to,  however,  the 
piston,  on  an  average,  made  about  25  double  strokes  per  min- 
ute, so  that  the  speed  of  14.97  miles  per  hour,  which  she  at- 
tained on  that  occasion,  cannot  be  taken  as  her  greatest  ordi- 
nary rate  of  sailing.  During  the  time,  however,  at  which  her 
speed  was  16.55  miles  per  hour  her  piston  was  making  27  dou- 
ble strokes  per  minute,  and  at  that  time  the  vessel  could  not 
be  far  from  having  attained  the  maximum  speed  at  which  her 
engines  are  capable  of  propelling  her  through  the  water. 
.  .  .  The  pressure  of  steam  in  the  boiler  is  45  Ibs.  on  the 
square  inch,  and  the  engine  works  expansively  and  cuts  off 
the  steam  at  half  stroke.  The  diameter  of  the  "Rochester's" 


58  HUDSON    1UVEH. 

piston  is  43  inches,  the  length  of  the  stroke  is  10  feet  and  when 
going  at  full  speed,  the  piston  makes  27  double  strokes,  or  in 
other  words,  moves  through  the  space  of  540  feet  per  minute." 

Stevenson  also  remarks,  respecting  the  speed  of  Amer- 
ican steamboats  at  this  period: 

"The  speed  of  the  American  steamboats  has  excited  con- 
siderable wonder  in  this  country,  and  some  people  have  been 
inclined  to  doubt  the  accuracy  of  the  statements  that  have  fre- 
quently been  made .  regarding  the  extraordinary  feats  per- 
formed by  them:  fast  sailing  is  a  property  which  is  not  pos- 
sessed by  all  American  steamboats,  but  that  a  few  of  those 
navigating  the  Hudson  Eiver  and  Long  Island  Sound  perform 
their  voyages  safely  and  regularly  at  a  speed  which  far  sur- 
passes that  of  any  European  steamer  hitherto  built,  every  im- 
partial person  who  has  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the  per- 
formance of  the  vessels  in  both  countries  must  be  ready  to 
admit." 

In  1839  Robert  L.  Stevens  sold  the  "North  America"  to 
Isaac  Newton  and  others,  who  run  her  in  connection  with  the 
"DeWitt  Clinton,"  until  the  latter  part  of  the  season.  .  While 
on  one  of  her  trips  from  New  York  to  Albany  and  when  but 
a  short  distance  below  the  latter  city,  she  encountered  a  field 
of  heavy  ice  which  cut  through  her  planking,  and  she  sank. 

A  German  traveling  in  this  country  about  this  time  says 
regarding  a  trip  on  the  Hudson  River:  "I  took  a  passage  in 
the  steamboat  "North  America"  on  the  23d  of  November,  1838, 
from  New  York  to  Albany.  As  the  river  was  already  nearly 
half  frozen  over  a  great  deal  of  floating  ice  was  coming  down. 
The  boat  left  New  York  at  5  o'clock  in  the  evening  and  ar- 
rived at  Albany  the  following  morning  at  7  o'clock.  We  made, 
therefore,  including  all  stoppages,  over  10  miles  per  hour  up 
stream.  The  length  of  the  vessel  is  200  feet,  greatest  width 
26  feet:  she  has  two  decks,  the  lower  of  which  where  the  en- 
gines are  is  about  three  feet  above  the  level  of  the  water.  She 
has  two  separate  cabins,  the  gentlemen's  cabin  which  is  at 
the  same  time  the  dining-room,  and  the  ladies'  cabin.  There 
were  320  passengers  on  board,  each  of  whom  slept  in  a  berth, 
and  as  sufficient  room  appeared  still  to  remain,  one  may 
imagine  how  colossal  this  floating  palace  must  be.  Two  steam 
engines,  with  44-inch  cylinders,  move  the  paddle-wheels  of  22 


HUDSON    RIVER.  59 

feet  in  diameter.  The  pressure  of  steam  of  this,  as  of  most  of 
the  steamboats  upon  the  eastern  waters,  is  about  15  pounds 
per  square  inch,  and  the  stroke  8  to  10  feet.  The  steam  is 
generally  cut  off  at  one-third  or  one-half  of  the  stroke  and 
operates  by  expansion.  For  a  voyage  of  145  miles  25  to  30 
cords  of  wood,  (of  128  cubic  feet)  of  soft  wood  are  required. 
The  "North  America"  draws  when  loaded  six  feet.XUpon  the 
Hudson  River  the  passenger  fare  is,  in  the  most  elegant  boats, 
three  dollars  for  the  distance  of  145  miles  between  New  York 
and  Albany,  which  gives  two  cents  per  passenger  per  mile.  For 
meals  an  extra  charge  is  made.  In  less  elegant  steamboats 
passengers  are  carried  the  same  distance  for  one  dollar,  and 
at  this  moment  even  for  fifty  cents,  which  gives  only  one-third 
of  a  cent  per  mile."  )( 

In  1839  the  "Diamond"  was  built  at  New  York  for  the 
Albany  route,  where  she  run  on  the  opposition  to  the  People's 
line,  until  taken  into  the  Associated  lines.  In  the  same  year 
the  "Balloon"  was  built  by  Devine  Burtis,  of  Brooklyn.  This 


steamboat  also  run  on  the  Albany  route  for  a  few  years;  but 
was  a  few  years  on  the  New  York  and  Newark  route,  when 
she  was  sent  to  the  Delaware  River  where  it  is  believed  she 
run  until  worn  out.  Her  engine  was  built  by  James  Cun- 
ningham, of  New  York  City,  and  it  is  probable  this  engine  was 
the  first  built  with  the  long  stroke  of  14  feet,  of  the  Beam- 
engine  type. 

Isaac  Newton  and  others  in  1840  had  built  for  them  by 
Devine  Burtis  the  "North  America,"  and  in  the  next  year  by 
the  same  builder  the  "South  America,"  both  for  the  Albany 
and  New  York  route.  The  engines  of  both  these  vessels  were 


00  HUDSON   RIVER. 

constructed  by  James  Cunningham,  who  was  a  part  owner 
in  the  "North  America."  The  "South  America"  was  about  30 
feet  longer  than  the  "North  America,"  but  a  few  inches  more 
beam  and  with  considerable  more  power  in  the  engine.  She 
was  a  very  narrow  and  crank  boat,  as  were  many  of  those 
built  for  speed  at  that  period,  and  made  a  few  trips  during 
her  career  that  placed  her  in  the  front  ranks.  The  "North 
America"  was  the  first  steamboat  that  used  blowers  for  an 
artificial  blast  in  the  furnaces  of  the  boilers,  driven  by  inde- 
pendent engines.  These  two  boats  continued  on  the  day  line 
for  a  few  seasons,  after  which  they  were  used  as  night  boats 
and  subsequently  for  the  New  York  and  Hudson  route  and 
finally  broken  up  about  1863. 

To  show  the  extent  to  which  the  rivalry  and  opposition 
of  the  different  lines  was  carried  at  this  period,  although  no 
more  bitter  and  heated  than  previous  or  later  oppositions,  it 
is  certainly  reassuring  to  look  back  at  the  affair  that  occurred 
in  June,  1840,  and  know  that  such  practices  are  not  possible 
at  this  period.  This  was  not  the  first  nor  the  last.  Their  en- 
vironment at  this  early  period  was  much  different  from  what 
it  is  at  the  present  day. 

The  "Napoleon"  was  a  small  and  very  indifferently  fitted- 
up  boat,  that  had  been  placed  on  the  Albany  route  as  an  op- 
position boat  to  the  Old  Line.  Her  pier  was  further  down 
town  than  that  occupied  by  the  Associated  Lines. .  On  the 
morning  in  question,  while  on  her  way  up  the  river  and  when 
nearly  opposite  the  slip  occupied  by  the  "DeWitt  Clinton," 
the  latter  started  out  and  struck  the  "Napoleon"  just  forward 
of  the  wheel,  careening  the  latter  vessel  so  that  her  guard  was 
under  the  water.  The  pilot  of  the  "Napoleon"  fired  several 
shots  from  a  pistol  at  the  pilot  of  the  "DeWitt  Clinton,"  but 
fortunately,  without  any  personal  injury  being  done.  It  was 
claimed  that  the  latter  vessel  lay  at  her  dock  working  her 
engine  full  stroke,  and  when  the  "Napoleon"  was  but  a  short 
distance  from  the  lower  side  of  the  slip  the  hawsers  were  cut 
with  a  sharp  axe  and  she  started  out  under  a  full  head  of 
steam.  Such  acts  would  not^be  tolerated  in  these  days,  for 
the  officers  of  the  vessel  committing  such  an  act  would  have 
their  licenses  cancelled  by  the  steamboat  inspectors  of  the 
district,  to  say  the  least. 


HUDSON   RIVER.  61 

These  contests  of  opposition  lines  involved  more  than  the 
reputations  of  the  speed  of  the  vessels.  The  way  passengers 
formed  a  large  percentage  of  the  travel  on  the  river,  and  as 
they  were  in  the  habit  of  taking  the  first  boat  that  arrived  at 
the  landing  and  going  in  the  desired  direction,  it  thus  hap- 
pened that  those  vessels  that  were  frequently  second  at  the 
landings  were  sure  to  be  a  losing  enterprise  for  their  owners: 
and  even  some  of  comparatively  fair  speed,  but  not  backed  by 
ample  capital,  were  withdrawn  in  a  sharp  competition  by  the 
low  rates  of  fare  that  often  prevailed. 

To  show  the  intense  feeling  existing  just  prior  to  the 
"Napoleon"  vs.  "DeWitt  Clinton"  affair  and  the  effort  made  to 
maintain  an  opposition,  the  following  advertisements  speak 
for  themselves: 

"  TO  THE  PUBLIC. 

"It  is  the  first  time  in  my  life  that  I  have  been  forced  to 
appeal  directly  to  the  public;  but  after  having  been  perse- 
cuted as  I  have  been  for  the  last  three  days  by  one  of  the 
greatest  monopolies  in  this  country,  my  duty  towards  my 
family,  as  I  owe  them  a  support,  makes  it  necessary  that  I 
should  inform  the  public  of  my  situation. 

"I  purchased  the  steamboat  "Napoleon"  last  winter  and  as- 
sociated myself  with  E.  C.  Corwin  and  James  Cochrane,  who 
became  equal  partners  with  me  in  the  boat,  and  the  articles  of 
co-partnership  were  drawn  in  such  a  manner  that  the  boat 
was  to  run  to  Albany  and  nowhere  else.  Recently  the  mo- 
nopoly, after  ascertaining  that  I  was  determined  not  to  re- 
move the  boat  from  this  route  has  made  extravagant  offers, 
made  in  such  a  way  that  I  was  to  be  left  alone,  and  conse- 
quently, as  my  means  are  small  must,  without  doubt,  be  ruined 
and  my  family  beggared.  I  now  solemnly  appeal  to  my 
friends  to  assist  me  in  supporting  the  "Napoleon,"  for  as  long 
as  she  loses  no  money  they  cannot  prevent  me  from  running; 
but  if  she  does,  an  injunction  will  be  immediately  served  on 
the  boat. 

"I  can  also  state  that  E.  0.  Corwin  has  spurned  all  their 
offers,  even  at  the  sacrifice  of  six  thousand  dollars. 

"J.  W.  HANCOX." 

Then  a  few  davs  after  we  have  another: 


G2  HUDSON    RIVER. 

"MONOPOLIES  AND  PERSECUTION." 

"Are  the  people  aware  of  the  disgraceful  manner  in  which 
the  Hudson  River  monopoly  and  the  towboat  monopolies  per- 
secute the  steamboat  "Napoleon,"  and  her  owners  especially, 
by  hiring  the  most  abandoned  and  profligate  wretches  to  run 
n  gainst  her  for  passengers,  and  making  use  of  the  most  dis- 
graceful language  to  prevent  passengers  from  going  on  board 
of  her. 

"They  are  guilty  of  the  foulest  lies  and  assertions,  for 
they,  on  the  20th  of  May,  asserted  that  the  Old  line,  that  is. 
the  two  monopolies,  had  bought  the  "Napoleon";  that  is  to 
say,  she  had  become  a  Judas  and  betrayed  the  people. 

"We  solemnly  declare  that  it  is  false,  and  that  no  such 
crusaders  can  ever  by  their  power,  threats  or  money  induce  us 
to  abandon  our  honest  and  honorable  pursuits  in  which  we 
are  engaged. 

"We  had  been  bred,  we  thought,  on  the  free  waters  of  the 
United  States,  but  if  this  is  the  manner  in  which  the  people 
are  to  be  driven  from  their  lawful  and  honorable  pursuits, 
away  then  with  our  boasted  freedom  and  let  us  sink  back  into 
monarchy. 

"Are  the  people  awrare  of  the  manner  in  which  we  have 
been  driven  from  pillar  to  post  for  the  last  few  days?  When 
they  found  the}'  could  not  traitorize  but  one  of  the  owners  of 
this  boat,  they  said,  "let's  crush  them,  they  are  poor  and  can- 
not stand  against  such  monopolies  as  we  are  but  a  few  days 
longer. 

"Will  the  people  suffer  this,  or  will  they  patronize  the 
"Napoleon"  and  keep  the  fare  at  $1.00  and  thus  sustain  the 
poor  in  fair,  honest  and  honorable  pursuits? 

"NAPOLEON." 

"Monopolies  and  Persecution"  is  certainly  a  very  odd 
business  advertisement  as  viewed  from  that  standpoint  at 
this  day.  As  an  exhibition  of  class  against  class,  it  should  re- 
ceive first  prize,  but  probably  the  writer  was  "talking  through 
his  hat." 

In  1840  an  Association  was  formed  between  the  owners 
of  the  larger  and  better  equipped  boats,  principally  those  run- 
ning to  Albany.  Among  those  in  this  Association  were  Daniel 


HUDSON    RIVER.  63 

Drew,  Isaac  Newton,  A.  N.  Hoffman  and  William  Kemble, 
and  the  owners  of  the  "DeWitt  Clinton,"  to  which  the  title  of 
the  "People's  Line"  was  given  and  that  has  been  retained  by 
their  successors  to  the  present  day.  An  incorporated  com- 
pany followed  at  a  later  date. 

\  The  principal  steamboat  owners  on  the  Hudson  River  and 
on  Long  Island  Sound  at  this  time  were  as  follows,  viz. : 

NORTH  RIVER  LINE. 

Steamboats— "Albany,"  "DeWitt  Clinton,"  "Swallow," 
"Champlain,"  "John  Mason,"  "Columbus,"  "Union,"  "General 
"Jackson,"  "Robt.  L.  Stevens,"  "J.  C.  Heartt,"  "Utica,"  "Roch- 
ester," and  "Saratoga." 

Anthony  N.  Hoffman,  James  A.  Stevens,  Robert  Dunlop, 
J.  C.  Heartt,  R.  P.  Hart,  Daniel  Drew,  Isaac  Newton. 

SWIFTSURE  LINE. 

Steamboats— "Swiftsure,"  "Commerce,"  "Constitution," 
"Illinois,"  "Sandusky,"  "Oliver  Ellsworth,"  "United  States," 
"Henry  Eckford,"  "New  London,"  "James  Fairlie,"  John  Jay," 
Avith  54  freighting  vessels. 

W.  C.  Redfield,  A.  Van  Santvoord,  Isaac  Newton,  Henry 
Green  &  Co.,  Pope  Catlin,  Horace  Stocking,  Joy  &  Monteith. 
and  Chas.  S.  Olmstead. 

NEWBURGH  LINES,  ETC. 

David  Crawford,  "Washington";  Benj.  Carpenter,  "Jas. 
Madison";  Thos.  Powell,  "Highlander";  Jas.  Cunningham, 
"North  America,"  "Huntress,"  and  "Thorne." 

NEW  HAVEN  AND  HARTFORD  LINES. 

Steamboats— "Splendid,"  "New  York,"  "Bunker  Hill," 
"Charter  Oak." 

Mem.  Sanford,  Chas.  H.  Northam,  S.  B.  Stone. 

BOSTON  TRANSPORTATION  CO. 

Steamboats — "Massachusetts,"  "Narragansett,"  "Rhode 
Island,"  "Providence,"  and  "Mohegan." 

Thaddeus  Phelps,  Nevins  &  Townsend,  R.  S.  Williams, 
James  G.  King,  C.  H.  Russell,  and  William  Comstock.  X 


64  HUDSON    RIVER. 

1841. 

People's  and  Old 
People's  Line  Line  Old  Line     Opposition     Opposition 

at  (U.  S.  Mail  Line)    Day  Boats  at  at 

6P.M.  5P.M.  7A.M.  5P.M.  6P.M. 

South  America      Swallow          Troy          Napoleon     Diamond 
North  America      Utica  Albany 

Rochester  DeWitt  Clinton 

This  year  was  a  lively  one  for  opposition,  the  "Diamond"' 
running  most  all  of  the  season,  while  the  "Napoleon"  was  on 
the  route  but  a  few  months.  On  the  night  of  the  24th  of  April, 
as  the  "South  America"  was  on  her  trip  up  the  river,  when 
above  Poughkeepsie  and  going  along  at  a  good  rate  of  speed, 
with  the  "Diamond"  bringing  up  the  rear  at  a  respectful  dis- 
tance, her  shaft  broke,  followed  by  the  breaking  of  the  con- 
necting rod,  which,  leaving  the  opposite  end  of  the  working 
beam  without  any  weight  to  sustain  it,  allowed  the  piston  to 
fall  with  its  rod  and  connections,  thus  breaking  the  steam 
cylinder  and  cover,  and  making  a  general  wreck  of  the  princi- 
pal parts  of  the  engine.  The  escaping  steam  from  the  broken 
steam-pipe  scalded  some  of  the  passengers  by  its  inhalation. 
The  opposition  boat  came  up  and  took  off  her  passengers  and 
landed  them  in  Albany. 

In  October  of  this  year  the  "Rainbow,"  owned  by  Robert 
L.  Stevens,  and  built  by  him  for  speed,  made  a  few  trips  to 
Albany  in  this  month  on  the  day  line.  She  was  an  experi- 
mental vessel  of  very  narrow  beam,  compared  to  her  length, 
which  was  as  1  to  14.  Her  power  was  a  pair  of  inclined  con- 
densing engines,  placed  in  the  hold,  one  forward  and  one  aft 
of  the  water-wheel  shaft,  with  cylinders  of  36  inches  diameter 
by  10  feet  stroke,  and  connected  to  one  crank  pin.  Her  boilers, 
which  were  in  the  hold  also,  were  strapped  with  bar  iron  6 
inches  by  1%  inches  every  10  inches  apart  for  strength;  the 
pressure  of  steam  carried  being  from  80  to  100  pounds  per 
square  inch.  The  water- wheels  were  24  feet  in  diameter  by  7 
feet  face,  and  the  water-wheel  shaft  was  of  boiler  iron  3-8 
of  an  inch  thick,  36  inches  diameter  with  cast-iron  ends.  She 
had  very  high  wheel-houses,  and  taken  all  in  all,  was  not  what 
would  be  called  a  handsome  boat  in  appearance.  Upon  trial, 
she  failed  to  meet  the  expectations  of  her  owner,  not  being 
able  to  make  any  better  time  than  those  called  10-hour  boats, 


r  i 


66  HUDSON    RIVER. 

or  of  fair  speed.  She  was  a  few  years  after  put  to  towing  in 
New  York  harbor,  but  was  afterwards  sent  to  Philadelphia, 
Pa.,  where  she  continued  in  the  same  service  on  the  Delaware 
River,  where  she  was  worn  out. 

A  story*  is  told  of  this  boat  while  on  the' Hudson  River, 
that  on  one  of  her  trips  up  the  river  she  run  into  some  vessel 
and  knocked  off  part  of  her  stem,  and  wrhen  she  arrived  in  Al- 
bany, in  order  to  repair  the  damage  received,  they  procured  a 
few  barrel  staves,  with  which  to  make  repairs  to  the  damaged 
stem,  that  was  exceedingly  fine  and  sharp. 

Robert  L.  Stevens  did  probably  more  than  any  other  person 
toward  the  early  development  of  American  river  steamboats. 
Being  possessed  of  abundant  means  and  having  a  mechanical 
turn  of  mind,  he  was  enabled  to  make  experiments  in  Naval 
Architecture  and  Marine  Engineering,  that  those  not  so  fortu- 
nate i<n  this  world's  goods  were  unable  to  put  in  practice.  Be 
had  quite  large  works  of  his  own  at  Hoboken,  N.  J.,  where  he 
employed  some  of  the  most  skilled  mechanics,  and  where  a 
large  amount  of  the  w7ork  on  the  hulls  and  engines  of  his  ves- 
sels were  executed.  For  a  number  of  his  experiments,  part  of 
the  work  was  done  at  his  own  works  and  pieces  were  made  at 
different  marine-engine  wrorks  in  New  York  and  vicinity,  but 
in  such  manner  that  the  wrhole  could  not  be  known  to  any  per- 
son outside  of  those  in  his  confidence.  All  his  experiments 
were  carried  on,  so  far  as  it  was  possible  to  do  so,  without  its 
being  known  to  the  mechanical  profession  at  the  time,  and 
there  is  no  doubt  but  a  number  of  experiments  were  made  on 
the  steamers  in  which  he  was  interested  (for  the  Stevens  fam- 
ily was  largely  interested  in  the  Camden  and  Amboy  Railroad 
Company,  who  run  a  line  of  steamboats  from  New  York  to 
Amboy  to  connect  with  the  railroad)  or  owned,  and  which  did 
not  turn  out  a  success,  and  of  which  no  public  record  has  been 
left.  To  him  must  be  given  the  credit  of  very  valuable  im- 
provements in  the  hull  and  engines  of  our  American  river 
steamboats,  several  of  wrhich  are  in  use  at  this  date.  In  later- 
years,  Francis  B.  Stevens,  a  nephewT  of  Robert  L.  Stevens,  and 
who  was  with  him  in  several  of  his  later  experiments,  also  de- 

*  By  the  first  assistant  engineer  at  the  time,  to  the  writer. 


HUDSON    RIVER.  67 

veloped  mechanical  talent,  and  was  the  inventor  of  several 
improvements  in  the  American  Beam  engine. 

The  "Swallow"  was  chartered  this  year  by  the  Associated 
Lines,  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  the  place  of  any  of  the 
boats  of  these  lines  which  wrere  compelled  to  withdraw  during 
the  season  on  account  of  repairs. 

1842. 

People's  Line 

People's  Line       and  Old  Line         Old  Line  Oppo- 

at  (U.  S.  Mail  Line)     Day  Boats          Opposition         sition 

6P.M.  5P.M.  7A.M.  5P.M.  6P.M. 

Rochester  Swallow  Troy  Washington  DeWitt 

So.  America        No.  America     Albany      Napoleon        Clinton 

Columbia  .     Wave 

Curtis  Peck 

When  the  season  of  navigation  opened  this  year  on  Feb- 
ruary 7th,  the  Associated  (or  People's)  lines  charged  $3.00 
fare  for  passengers;  this  lasted  but  a  few  weeks,  when  the 
rate  was  lowered  to  $1.00.  About  the  middle  of  April  the 
"DeWitt  Clinton"  was  placed  on  the  route  by  the  Associated 
Lines  as  an  opposition  to  their  regular  line,  with  the  prevail- 
ing rate  of  fare,  but  during  the  latter  part  of  the  month  the 
"Washington''  entered  as  a  further  opposition,  and  lowered 
the  fare  to  50  cents  (or  4  sh.)  per  passage  during  most  of 
the  time  while  on  the  route,  which  lasted  until  September, 
The  "DeWitt  Clinton"  maintained  the  fare  at  $1.00  during  the 
time  of  her  running,  which  ceased  in  July,  after  which  the 
Associated  Lines  raised  the  fare  to  $1.50  (or  12  sh.),  and  the 
"Washington"  for  a  time  to  $1.00.  In  July  the  "Napoleon" 
also  entered  for  a  share  of  the  travel,  and  lowered  the  fare  to 
25  cents  (or  2  sh.) ;  but  this  low  rate  does  not  seem  to  have  been 
inviting  to  the  traveling  public  to  a  profitable  extent,  for  the 
season  lasted  but  one  week.  The  "Wave"  came  on  in  place  of 
the  "Washington"  in  September  with  the  low  fare  of  50  cents, 
which  lasted  but  a  few  weeks.  The  "Curtis  Peck"  was  an  op- 
position  boat  in  October  wTith  the  fare  at  $1.00,  which -the  As- 
sociated Lines  met  by  cutting  to  the  same  rate  every  alternate 
night,  but  when  the  opposition  boat  was  on  the  other  end  of 
the  route  the  regular  rate  of  $1.50  was  charged,  which  lasted 
but  a  few  weeks.  This  boat  belonged  to  Elijah  Peck,  of  Flush- 


68  HUDSON    RIVER. 

ing,  X.  Y.  The  "Columbia"  was  a  new  boat,  built  during  the 
previous  year,  and  wras  a  very  good  boat  for  the  route,  al- 
though not  of  high  speed.  She  was  taken  into  the  Associated 
Lines  during  the  year.  The  "Rainbow"  made  one  trip  on  the 
day  line  this  year  as  an  opposition  at  $  1.00  fare.  The  regular 
rate  prevailing  previous  to  May  of  this  year  was  $  1.50,  but 
from  that  month  to  August  the  rates  were  lowered  to  $1.00, 
after  which  they  were  raised  to  $1.50,  where  they  remained 
the  rest  of  the  season. 

The  landing  of  passengers  in  these  days  on  the  river,  was 
what  would  be  considered  at  present  as  attended  with  con- 
siderable risk.  When  time  was  of  moment,  and  the  number 
to  be  landed  at  am7  one  landing  but  few,  it  was  not  uncommon 
for  the  small  boat  belonging  to  the  steamboat  to  be  lowered 
alongside  the  latter  and  the  passengers  desirous  of  embark- 
ing at  the  next  landing  placed  on  board,  the  small  boat  being 
towed  by  a  small  line,  and  the  steamboat  merely  sheering  in 
towards  the  landing.  The  small  boat  would  sheer  off  close  to 
the  landing,  and  the  passengers  were  compelled  to  jump  when 
their  boat  arrived  at  the  landing,  whether  at  a  wharf  or  on 
the  shore.  If  the  small  boat  was  skilfully  handled  by  those 
in  charge,  and  they  were  prompt  to  avail  themselves  of  their 
opportunity  to  alight  quickly,  they  would  land  without  being 
treated  to  an  involuntary  bath;  but  if  the  boat  was'not  prop- 
erly handled  on  arriving  at  the  dock,  or  on  the  shore,  the 
passengers  would  sometimes  be  thrown  overboard.  There  was 
an  accident  which  happened  at  the  Poughkeepsie  landing  from 
this  method  of  landing  passengers,  whereby  several  persons 
lost  their  lives.  The  legislature  shortly  afterward  passed  a 
law,  prohibiting  the  landing  of  passengers  from  steamboats 
"on  the  fly." 

1843. 

People's  Line,  People's  Line     Troy  Day  Opposition 

Without  and  Old  Line  Boats  From  Opposition         Without 

Landing,  (U.  S.  Mail)          Albany  Day  Boat         Landing 

6P.M.                 5P.M.               7A.M.  6A.M.              6P.M. 

Rochester  Swallow        Troy        Curtis  Peck  Diamond 

South  America  No.  America  Empire  New  Jersey 

Knickerbocker  So.  America  Rainbow  Swallow 

Portsmouth 


HUDSON    RIVER.  69 

This  year  was  one  of  several  changes  in  the  relations  of 
the  steamboats  on  the  route  to  one  another,  as  well  as  the 
rates  of  fare.  The  season  opened  April  13th,  with  the  fare  by 
the  A  ssociated  Lines  at  $1.50,  which  was  the  rate  by  the  oppo- 
sition boat,  the  "Diamond,"  also,  until  in  May,  when  the 
"Portsmouth"  came  on  the  route  and  joined  the  "Diamond," 
when  the. Associated  Lines  lowered  their  fare  to  50  cents,  as 
did  the  opposition.  This  was  kept  up  for  about  two  months, 
when  the  "Diamond"  was  taken  into  the  Associated  Lines  and 
hauled  off  the  route.  In  June  the  "Portsmouth"  was  succeeded 
by  the  "New  Jersey,"  which  run  until  September,  when  the 
"Portsmouth"  returned  and  remained  the  rest  of  the  season. 
The  opposition  of  the  "New  Jersey"  wTas  determined  during 
the  months  of  June  and  July  and  August,  and  the  fare  fluc- 
tuated from  25  cents  to  $1.00,  being  hardly  ever  the  same  for 
two  consecutive  days.  When  the  "Portsmouth"  succeeded  the 
"New  Jersey,"  in  September,  the  rates  were  at  50  cents  by  the 
opposition,  but  were  shortly  after  raised  to  75  cents,  and  then 
to  $1.00,  where  they  remained  steady  the  balance  of  the  sea- 
son. While  the  "Swallow"  run  the  fare  was  maintained  on 
her  at  the  regular  rate  of  $1.50,  which  prevailed  also  on  the 
Associated  Lines  from  the  time  the  "Diamond"  was  taken  off 
in  June.  In  August  the  "Swallow"  joined  the  "New  Jersey," 
and  remained  till  the  close  of  navigation.  The  "Knicker- 
bocker" came  out  as  a  new  boat  this  year,  and  was  entered 
in  the  Associated  Lines,  her  first  trip  being  made  August  21st, 
where  she  ran  part  of  the  time  with  the  "Rochester"  and  the 
remainder  with  the  "South  America."  The  engine  of  the  "De- 
Witt  Clinton"  was  removed  in  the  winter  of  1842  and  1843, 
and  placed  in  the  "Knickerbocker,"  and  the  hull  was  subse- 
quently used  as  a  barge. 

The  "Knickerbocker"  was  built  by  Smith  &  Dimon,  for 
Daniel  Drew  &  Isaac  Newton.  The  ladies'  saloon  was  fitted 
with  12  state  rooms,  while  on  the  promenade  deck  there  were 
single  and  family  state  rooms  to  the  number  of  65. 

The  opposition  on  the  day  line  was  entered  into  from  the 
opening  of  the  season  by  the  "Curtis  Peck,"  and  was  con- 
tinued until  the  latter  part  of  June,  when  she  w^as  taken  into 
the  Associated  Lines  and  taken  off  the  route.  This  boat  was 
sold  the  next  spring  and  taken  down  on  the  James  River,  Vir- 


70 


HUDSON    RIVER. 


ginia.  The  rates  of  fare  were  kept  at  $1.50  until  the  first  of 
June,  when  they  were  cut  to  50  cents  by  the  opposition,  which 
was  met  by  the  regular  line  on  the  same  day,  but  $1.00  charged 
on  alternate  days,  while  such  opposition  lasted.  A  few  trips 
before  being  taken  into  the  Associated  Lines,  the  "Curtis 
Peck"  run  for  25-cent  fare.  When  the  "Empire''  came  out  in 


EMPIRE    OF    TROY. 


the  spring  the  racing  with  the  "South  America"  that  was  put 
on  the  day  line  for  several  weeks,  was  of  daily  occurrence, 
and  carried  out  on  both  sides,  "to  do  or  die."  The  end  proba- 
bly justified  the  means  they  thought. 

1844. 


People's   Line 

Without  Landing 

6  P.  M. 

Rochester 
Knickerbocker 


People's   Line 

5  P.  M. 
(U.  S.  Mail) 

North  America 
Curtis  Peek 
Columbia 


People's   Line 
Day  Boat 
7  A.  M. 

South  America 


Troy  and  Albany. 

Troy  at  6  P.  M. 

Albany  at  7  P.  M. 

Albany 

Swallow 


Troy  Day  Boat 
at  6  A.  M., 

Albany,  7  A.  M. 
Troy 
Empire 


Opposition 
Without  Landing 

7  P.  M. 
New  Jersey 
Wave 
Portsmouth 
Genl.  Jackson 

This  season  opened  the  18th  of  March  with  the  fare  by 
the  Associated  Lines  at  $1.50,  and  the  opposition  by  the  "Gen- 
eral Jackson"  at  $1.00,  wiiich  lasted  until  the  latter  part  of 
April,  when  the  "General  Jackson"  withdrew,  and  the  People's 
Line  was  left  in  undisturbed  possession  of  the  field.  This  did 
not  last  long,  for  on  May  18th,  the  "New  Jersey"  again  put  in 
an  appearance,  as  during  the  previous  season,  on  the  opposi- 
tion, and  shortly  after  the  "Wave,"  and  the  "Portsmouth," 
when  the  fare  was  cut  down  to  50  cents.  This  the  Associated 
Lines  met  and  held  until  the  fore  part  of  June,  when  the 
usual  rate  of  one  dollar  and  a  half  was  re-established  again  by 


HUDSON    RIVER.  71 

them,  and  prevailed  generally  the  balance  of  the  season,  with 
the  exception  of  a  short  period  during  July,  while  the  opposi- 
tion were  carrying  passengers  at  prices  varying  from  fifty 
cents  to  one  dollar. 

The  Associated  Lines  run  the  "South  America"  as  a  day 
boat,  from  the  middle  of  April  to  the  middle  of  June,  inde- 
pendent of  the  Troy  line  of  day  boats,  with  the  fare  at  two 
dollars,  while  the  latter  line  was  running  for  one  dollar  and  a 
half.  This  lasted  but  a  very  short  time,  when  the  Troy  line 
increased  the  fare  to  that  of  the  People's  line.  After  the  with- 
drawal of  the  "South  America,"  the  "Troy"  and  "Empire" 
were  the  only  day  boats  for  the  remainder  of  the  season,  with 
the  spring  rates  of  fare. 

On  October  4th  the  "Albany"  broke  her  shaft  when  near 
Xewburg,  and  the  "Swallow"  continued  the  service  alone  of 
the  Troy  and  Albany  night  line  for  the  remainder  of  the  sea- 
son. This  was  the  second  time  during  this  season  that  the 
"Albany"  had  broken  her  shaft,  for  on  July  30th  she  had  met 
with  the  same  mishap,  which  caused  her  withdrawal  from  the 
route  for  10  or  12  days  until  repairs  had  been  made. 

The  "Swallow"  was  purchased  on  July  15th  of  this  year,  by 
the  People's  line  and  the  Troy  line  jointly,  for  |50,000,  the 
former  taking  two-thirds  and  the  latter  one-third  of  the  ves- 
sel, with  the  understanding  that  the  Troy  line  was  to  have  the 
control  of  the  boat.  The  vessel  was  at  this  time  owned  by 
Anthony  X.  Hoffman,  of  Xew  York,  and  Smith  Cutter,  of 
Shrewsbury,  X.  J.,  and  William  Kemble,  of  Xew  York. 

During  the  month  of  Xovember,  after  all  opposition  had 
been  withdrawn,  the  Associated  Lines  raised  the  fare  by  the 
night  boats;  first,  to  two  dollars,  then  to  three  dollars,  and 
for  the  month  of  December,  until  the  15th,  when  they  were 
compelled  to  cease  operations  by  the  heavy  ice,  four  dollars 
was  charged  for  passenger  fare. 

Steamboat  captains,  during  these  days  of  steamboating 
on  the  river,  were  not  averse  to  taking  risks  to  gain  a  point,  if 
possible,  over  a  competitor,  when  an  opportunity  offered.  On 
one  occasion,  a  fair  boat  for  speed,  of  the  Hudson  River,  had 
as  an  opponent  a  new  boat  which  had  just  been  brought 
around  from  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  for  service  on  the  Hudson.  On 
the  Delaware  River  she  was  thought  to  be  one  of  good  speed, 


72  HUDSON    RIVER. 

but  those  on  the  Hudson  Kiver  concluded  that  the  stranger 
would  find  if  she  was  fast  on  the  Delaware  River,  that  the 
same  speed  could  not  be  obtained  on  the  Hudson,  for  the  miles 
were  longer  on  the  latter  river  than  those  on  the  former.  The 
two  boats  were  to  have  left  New  York  this  morning  at  the 
same  hour,  but  the  Old  line  boat  was  detained  in  her  slip  by 
another  vessel,  and  the  stranger  got  some  distance  on  her 
journey  before  the  former  was  able  to  get  under  way,  and 
as  it  was  very  foggy  at  the  time,  the  old  boat  lost  sight  of  her 
competitor  before  she  left  her  wharf.  But  that  made  no  differ- 
ence to  them,  for  they  were  intent  upon  showing  the  stranger 
that  there  was  one  boat  on  the  river  that  was  able  to  pass 
her,  and  with  the  greatest  confidence  they  started  on  their 
trip,  thinking  it  was  merely. a  question  of  a  few  miles  before 
they  would  have  the  satisfaction  of  showing  the  stranger  the 
stern  of  their  boat  while  under  way.  They  continued  on  their 
trip  up  the  river,  making  good  time,  and  this  it  must  be  re- 
membered was  in  a  fog.  The  lookout  stationed  in  the  bow  of 
the  boat  would  listen  with  the  greatest  eagerness  for  the 
sound  of  the  stranger's  paddle-wheels  in  the  water,  for  it  was 
not  possible  to  see  very  far  ahead,  and  this  was  the  only  way 
they  could  tell  under  the  circumstances  of  her  proximity,  and 
when  he  thought  he  caught  the  welcome  sound,  then  all  was 
excitement  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  stranger  through  the 
fog,  even  to  a  majority  of  the  passengers  who  seemed  to  enjoy 
the  stern  chase,  'and  who  vied  with  the  crew  in  urging  the  en- 
gineer to  "go  in,  we'll  soon  catch  her."  As  they  got  along  up 
the  river  and  the  stranger  had  not  yet  been  found  since  leav- 
ing New  York,  it  was  decided  so  as  to  make  all  the  time  possi- 
ble, they  must  skip  some  of  their  landings  for  which  they  had 
passengers.  This  they  did  by  paying  the  passengers  to  go  to 
another  landing  further  on,  and  paying  their  fare  back  by 
stage  to  their  destination.  After  passing  two  or  three  land- 
ings they  stopped  at  a  wharf  for  the  passengers  desiring  to  go 
ashore,  and  inquired  of  the  wharfinger  if  the  new  boat  had 
been  there,  who  told  them  that  she  "had  called  and  left  about 
an  hour  ago."  This  they  doubted,  and  in  language  more  vigor- 
ous and  emphatic  than  polite  to  the  wharfinger,  hauled  in  the 
gang  plank  and  started  in  pursuit  of  the  stranger,  more  de- 
termined than  ever  to  find  her.  The  same  tactics  were  pursued 


74  HUDSON    RIVER. 

again  with  the  passengers  in  inducing  them  to  go  beyond  their 
destination  and  return  by  stage;  and  after  passing  two  or 
three  more  landings  they  made  another  stop  for  passengers 
at  a  wharf,  and  on  inquiring  of  the  wharfinger  as  to  the  new 
boat,  were  informed  that  "she  was  here  and  left  more  than  an 
hour  ago."  Then  they  began  to  realize  that  they  had  met  their 
match,  even  though  it  was  not  a  New  York-built  boat,  and 
went  on  their  way,  with  less  confidence  than  they  had  started 
out  with  in  the  morning  in  the  speed  of  their  vessel.  Later 
reports  do  not  say  if  they  found  any  difference  in  the  miles  on 
the  two  rivers. 

1845. 

People's   Line  People's    Line  People's  and  Troy 

Without    Landing  5  P.  M.  Line   Without 

6  P.  M.  (U.  S.  Mail)  Landing,  6  P.  M. 

Rochester  North  America  Empire 

Knickerbocker  South  America  Columbia 

H.  Hudson  Columbia  Swrallow 

New  Jersey 

People's  Day  Troy  Day  Opposition  Opposition 

Boat  Line  Without    Landing          6  P.  M. 

7   A.   M.  7  A.  M.  7  P.   M. 

South  America  Troy  Belle  Oregon 

Niagara     Express  James  Madison 

Rip  Van  Winkle 

This  was  a  very  lively  season  on  the  river,  the  number  of 
boats  leaving  New  York  for  Albany,  or  Albany  for  New  York, 
daily,  were  often  as  high  as  six,  four  and  five  being  a  very 
common  occurrence,  even  as  late  in  the  season  as  November. 
There  were  52  days  when  six  boats  left  daily,  and  78  days 
when  five  boats  left  daily,  between  the  first  of  March  and  the 
first  day  of  December.  This  includes  night  boats  as  well  as 
day  boats. 

The  first  steamboat  to  arrive  this  year  at  Albany  was  the 
Norwich*  (that  had  been  on  the  New  York  and  Norwich  route) 
on  Monday,  February  24th,  at  1  a.  m.  She  left  New  York  on 
Saturday  night  previous,  and  forced  her  way  through  solid  ice 
from  Kingston  up  the  river  as  far  as  Albany.  The  ice  was 
very  heavy  and  had  not  moved  at  Albany  when  she  arrived. 

*  This  steamboat  was  still  in  use  as  a  towboat  a  short  time  ago, 
and  always  considered  the  best  boat  in  ice  on  the  river. 


HUDSON    RIVER.  75 

She  lost  her  rudder  and  broke  her  water-wheels  very  badly, 
that  made  it  necessaiy  for  her  to  lay  up  to  repair  damages. 
The  ice  commenced  moving  opposite  the  city  about  noon  of 
the  same  day  and  in  two  hours  was  nearly  all  gone  from  that 
vicinity,  the  "Norwich"  having  in  the  meantime  gone  in  the 
basin  below  the  city  where  she  was  safe  from  the  moving  ice. 

The  month  of  March  opened  writh  the  "Express"  of  the 
Schuyler  line  as  an  opposition  boat,  which  was  joined  by  the 
"Robert  L.  Stevens"  for  a  few  weeks,  the  fare  being  maintained 
at  this  time  on  these  boats  from  fifty  cents  to  one  dollar, 
which  the  Associated  Lines  met  on  their  night  lines.  During 
the  month  of  April  the  competition  was  waged  fiercely,  with 
low  rates  of  fare,  the  highest  being  fifty  cents,  and  twenty-five 
cents  being  very  common  rate,  and  for  a  few  days  twelve  and 
one-half  cents  (or  1  sh.)  was  all  that  was  charged  for  passenger 
fare  between  Albany  and  New  York,  or  vice  versa.  There  was, 
from  the  middle  of  March  to  the  middle  of  April,  the  "Buffalo," 
also  running  as  another  opposition  boat,  which  also  added  to 
the  already  sharp  competition  existing  between  the  through 
lines.-  r- 

It  was  during  this  month,  in  the  height  of  the  competi- 
tion, on  the  7th  day  of  April,  the  fare  that  night  being  twenty- 
five  cents,  that  the  "Swallow,"  which  was  on  the  6  p.  m.  line 
from  Albany,  was  coming  dowrn  the  river  and  when  opposite 
Hudson  on  the  Athens  side  of  the  river  about  8.10  p.  in.,  having 
taken  the  western  channel,  run  on  what  was  known  as  Dopers 
Island,  a  small  island  just  above  Athens,  and  sunk  in  a  very 
short  time  after.  Three  boats  left  Albany  that  evening  at  the 
same  hour,  the  "Swallow,"  the  "Rochester,"  and  the  "Express," 
the  latter  being  the  opposition  boat.  The  night  was  intensely 
dark,  and  the  navigation  of  the  river  was  made  more  difficult 
by  a  heavy  snow  squall,  which  prevailed  for  some  time  before 
reaching  the  vicinity  of  the  disaster.  The  "Swallow"  was  in 
advance  of  the  other  two  boats,  followed  very  closely  by  the 
"Rochester,"  and  the  "Express"  immediately  in  the  rear  of  the 
"Rochester."  It  has  been  generally  supposed  that  in  this  in- 
stance they  were  all  being  driven  to  their  utmost  speed,  the 
"Swallow"  to  hold  her  own  position,  and  the  others  to  take  it 
from  her.  The  head  pilot  of  the  "Swallow"  had  been  to  sup- 
per, and  returned  to  the  pilothouse  when  a  short  distance 


76  HUDSON    RIVER. 

above  Hudson.  Before  his  sight  became  useful  in  the  dark- 
ness which  now  surrounded  him,  she  struck  on  the  rocky 
island,  and  in  a  few  minutes  broke  in  two  at  the  forward 
gangway,  her  bow  having  been  driven  about  thirty  feet  upon 
the  island.  There  wrere  on  board  at  the  time  about  300  pas- 
sengers, and  it  is  believed  about  40  met  a  watery  grave,  sev- 
eral of  whom  were  drowned  in  their  berths.  This  disaster 
caused  intense  excitement  in  the  towns  along  the  river,  and 
especially  in  New  York  and  Albany.  The  "Rochester"  and  the 
''Express"  rescued  the  larger  number,  though  several  were 
saved  by  going  forward  and  climbing  over  the  bow  of  the  boat, 
dropped  down  upon  the  island,  from  which  they  were  after- 
wards taken  by  boats  which  came  out  from  shore.  The  "Ex- 
press" was  owned  by  Memenon  Sanford,  of  New  Haven,  Conn., 
and  others,  who  were  also  interested  in  steam  navigation  on 
Long  Island  Sound.  It  would  appear  that  the  "Express" 
started  from  Albany  this  night  before  her  advertised  time. 

The  next  month  opened  with  as  strong  a  rivalry  between 
the  boats  as  during  the  previous  month,  except  that  the 
"Belle,"  which  was  from  the  New  York  &  New  Haven  route, 
was  running  with  the  "Express"  in  place  of  the  "R.  L.  Stevens." 
The  low  passenger  fare  of  twenty-five  cents  (or  2  sh.)  wras 
the  usual  rate  this  month,  except  on  the  5  p.  m.  line,  which 
made  the  usual  landings,  and  carried  passengers  with  but  few 
exceptions  during  the  month,  at  4  sh.  (or  fifty  cents).  June 
opened  with  a  repetition  of  the  fierce  opposition  of  the  pre- 
vious month,  but  about  the  15th  the  rates  of  fare  were  raised 
by  the  competing  through  lines  to  50  cents  and  75  cents 
(or  6  sh.)  on  the  opposition,  and  fifty  cents  and  one  dollar 
(8  sh.)  on  the  Associated  Lines,  wrhile  the  5  p.  m.  lines  raised 
their  rates  to  4  sh.  and  8  sh.  also,  rates  being  lower  by 
the  "Belle"  and  those  of  the  Associated  Lines  on  the  same 
night,  than  they  were  by  the  "Rochester,"  of  the  through  line, 
and  the  "Express,"  and  "New  Jersey,"  of  the  5  p.  m.  line.  Af- 
ter the  loss  of  the  "Swallow,"  the  "Empire,"  that  was  running 
on  opposite  days  with  her  in  the  same  line,  continued  to  fill  it 
alone  until  the  end  of  June,  when  the  "Columbia"  took  the 
place  of  the  "Swallow,"  and  the  two  formed  a  daily  line  at  G 
p.  m.  During  the  long  days  of  the  summer,  the  time  of  leav- 
ing was  made  one  hour  later  than  it  was  in  the  spring  and 


HUDSON    RIVER.  77 

fall  by  all  the  night  boats.  On  the  4th  of  this  month  the  "Em? 
pire"  was  run  into  by  the  "Express''  near  Barren  Island, 
carrying  away  her  rudder  and  doing  other  damage  to  the  ves- 
sel. These  boats  both  left  at  the  same  hour  and  were  of  the 
rival  lines,  carrying  passengers  at  this  time  for  twenty-five 
cents.  The  month  of  July  the  opposition  kept  the  rates  steady 
at  seventy-five  cents  the  month  through,  while  the  Associated 
lines  maintained  the  fare  at  one  dollar,  except  on  Saturdays, 
when  there  was  no  opposition,  when  one  dollar  and  a  half  was 
the  rate.  The  "Knickerbocker"  broke  her  working  beam  and 
cylinder  head  on  the  21st  of  this  month,  and  her  place  was 
filled  by  the  "South  America"  until  her  repairs  were  completed 
about  the  20th  of  August.  During  August  the  same  opposi- 
tion as  existed  during  July  continued,  wTith  rates  at  the  same 
figures.  There  were  in  this  month  145  departures  in  all  of 
night  and  day  boats  from  Albany  to  New  York.  Four  of  the 
Associated  Lines'  boats  were  compelled  to  be  withdrawn  dur- 
ing this  month  for  repairs,  for  a  longer  or  shorter  period  than 
one  week  each.  During  September  the  same  condition  of  af- 
fairs existed  as  during  August  until  the  22d,  when  the  "Ore- 
gon" came  on  the  scene  of  warfare  in  rates,  and  the  day  fol- 
lowing the  "James  Madison,"  that  had  been  running  between 
New  York  and  Newburg.  The  rates  were  once  more  lowered 
to  as  near  a  "chalked  hat"  (or  free  pass),  as  it  is  to  make  it, 
especially  on  the  "James  Madison,"  which  run  for  twelve  and 
one-half  cents  (1  sh.),  while  the  "Belle,"*  on  the  other  opposition 
line,  was  running  at  twenty-five  cents,  both  of  these  boats  on 
the  same  night,  while  the  Associated  Lines  fell  no  lower  on 
the  same  nights  than  4  sh.  (or  fifty  cents).  This  seems  to  have 
been  a  war  more  particularly  between  the  two  opposition 
lines.  On  the  opposite  nights  the  "Oregon,"  which  was  a  new 
and  very  fine  boat,  and  one  of  good  speed  and  size,  run  for 
passengers  at  the  fare  of  one  dollar.  This  boat  was  afterward 
purchased  by  Daniel  Drew,  and  others,  from  George  Law.  It 
is  more  than  probable  that  she  was  put  on  to  keep  the  opposi- 
tion lines  in  check  as  much  as  possible.  Shortly  after  the 
"Express"  was  competing  at  seventy-five  cents  (G  sh.)  passen- 
ger fare,  and  the  Associated  Lines'  boats,  both  U.  S.  Mail  and 

*  The  "Belle"  was  in  use  as  a  towboat  until  1898,  when  laid  aside 
from  active  service. 


78  HUDSON    RIVER. 

•  through,  lines,  .at  8  sh.  Thus  the  rivalry  continued  during 
the  latter  part  of  the  month,  six  boats  in  all  leaving  daily  from 
the  22d  to  the  first  of  October.  Four  of  the  Associated 
Lines'  boats  were  withdrawn  this  month  at  different  periods, 
for  repairs  to  their  machinery  by  break-downs,  and  damages 
to  their  hulls  by  collisions,  their  places  being  supplied  by 
other  boats  of  the  Association.  October  was  opened  by  as 
determined  an  opposition  as  has  been  noted  during  the  latter 
part  of  September,  with  a  more  steady  rate  of  low  fares  during 
the  whole  month  than  had  previously  existed.  The  "James 
Madison" 'still  run  for  twelve  and  one-half -cent  fare,  the  "Ore- 
gon" lowered  the  rates  from  one  dollar  to  twenty-five  cents, 
and  the  "Belle,"  and  "Rip  Van  Winkle,"  which  had  taken  the 
place  of  the  "Express"  on  the  6th  of  the  month,  having  been 
in  the  opposition  day  line  previous,  kept  a  very  even  rate  dur- 
ing the  most  of  the  month  at  twenty-five  cents.  The  Asso- 
ciated Lines  cut  down  the  fare  during  the  greater  part  of  the 
month  to  twenty-five  and  fifty  cents.  During  this  month  there 
were  159  departures  from  New  York  for  Albany,  the  largest 
number  during  any  one  month  ef  the  year.  On  the  8th  of  this 
month  the  "Hendrik  Hudson'1  made  her  first  trip,  in  the 
through  line  of  the  Associated  Lines'  boats,  taking  the  place 
of  the  "Rochester,"  with  the  "Knickerbocker"  as  a  mate.  The 
"James  Madison"  left  the  opposition  line  on  the  16th,  and  the 
"Oregon"  left  the  route  on  the  28th.  In  November  there  was 
but  one  opposition  line  running,  the  "Belle,"  and  the  "Rip  Van 
Winkle,"  and  better  paying  rates  were  established.  They 
opened  the  month  by  raising  the  fare  to  seventy-five  cents,  and 
soon  after  increasing  it  to  one  dollar  by  the  "Belle,"  and  one 
dollar  and  a  half  by  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle."  The  Associated 
Lines  opened  the  month  at  seventy-five  cents,  and  a  week  after 
increased  it  to  one  dollar  and  a  quarter  on  the  same  nights  as 
the  "Belle,"  and  to  one  dollar  and  a  half  as  the  "Rip  Van  Win- 
kle," which  rates  were  held  steady  during  the  month.  During 
this  month  there  were  127  departures  from  New  York  for 
Albany.  The  winter  set  in  quite  early  this  year,  closing  navi- 
gation  on  the  river  on  December  3d. 

This  was  a  memorable  season  for  steam  navigation  on  the 
Hudson  River,  both  for  the  determined  opposition  offered,  the 
large  number  of  steamboats,  as  well  as  the  low  rates  of  fare. 


HUDSON    RIVEIf.  79 

and  the  length  of  time  they  were  continued.  There  were  a  few 
days  when  the  competition  was  so  sharp,  that  some  of  the 
lines,  rather  than  be  outdone  by  their  competitors,  have  car- 
ried passengers  free  of  all  charge  for  passage,  their  only  re- 
ceipts being  for  berths  and  meals. 

The  day  lines  opened  the  season  of  1845  on  the  14th  of 
April  with  the  "Troy,"  which  was  soon  joined  by  the  "Al- 
bany," the  rate  of  fare  being  one  dollar,  which  was  kept  until 
July  5th,  when  it  was  increased  to  one  dollar  and  a  half,  until 
the  "Kip  Van  Winkle"  was  put  on  as  an  opposition  boat  dur- 
ing the  latter  part  of  the  month,  she  being  then  a  new  boat, 
and  built  for  the  Schuyler  line,  and  this,  her  first  service,  when 
the  fare  was  lowered  on  the  same  day  to  one  dollar,  the  oppo- 
site day  the  regular  line  charged  one  dollar  and  a  half  passen- 
ger fare.  This  continued  until  the  fore  part  of  September, 
when  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle"  was  withdrawn,  but  came  on 
again  as  a  night  boat  with  the  "Belle"  during  the  next  month. 
After  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle"  withdrew  from  the  opposition 
day  line,  in  September,  the  regular  line  raised  the  fare  to  one 
dollar  and  a  half,  which  was  kept  steady  at  this  rate  until  the 
end  of  the  season.  The  "Albany"  was  withdrawn  from  the 
day  line  and  from  service  in  June  of  this  year,  and  the  "Niag- 
ara," that  had  just  been  completed,  wras  entered  in  her  place 
and  continued  the  remainder  of  the  season  until  the  close  of 
navigation  on  the  day  line  with  the  "Troy." 

On  August  5th  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle,"  then  on  the  opposi- 
tion day  line,  had  a  trial  of  speed  with  the  "Troy."  They  left 
New  York  side  by  side,  at  7  a.  m.,  and  continued  close  in  each 
other's  company  until  they  reached  Caldwell's  landing,  about 
forty-two  miles  from  New  York,  when  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle" 
took  the  lead,  which  she  held  during  the  remainder  of  the 
trip  and  reached  Troy  at  4.30  p.  m.,  the  "Troy"  arriving  at  4.40 
p.  m.,  both  making  the  usual  landings.  This  was  a  very  close 
and  exciting  contest,  the  boats  being  at  times  within  almost 
hailing  distance  of  each  other. 


80  HUDSON    RIVER. 

1846. 

People's   Line        People's   Line    People's  and  Troy    Troy  Day  Line 

Without  Landing       (U.  S.  Mail)          Line  Without        Boats,  7  A.  M. 

6  P.  M.  5  P.  M.  Landing,  6  P.  M.      from    Albany. 

H.  Hudson  South  America  Empire  Troy 

Rochester  North  America  Columbia       Niagara 

Knickerbocker  H.  Hudson  South  America 

Isaac  Newton  Santa  Claus 

Opposition    Day  Opposition  Opposition 

Boats,  7  A.  M.  Without  Landing  Without  Landing 

from   Albany.  6  P.  M.  6  P.  M. 

St.  Nicholas  Belle  Express 

Metamora  Rip  Van  Winkle  Oneida 

Iron  Witch 

This  year  the  navigation  of  the  Hudson  River  opened 
March  18th,  and  in  a  week  after  there  were  two  opposition 
lines  on  the  through  route  from  Albany  to  New  York,  and  the 
fare  for  passengers,  which  had  been  on  the  opening  of  the  sea- 
son two  dollars,  and  one  dollar  and  a  half,  fell  by  the  end  of 
the  month  to  one  dollar,  and  to  fifty  cents,  but  it  was  not  until 
April  5th  that  the  competition  began  with  spirit  and  energy, 
and  then  the  fare  declined  to  twenty-five  cents  on  all  the 
through  night  lines,  which  price  was  steadily  maintained 
through  the  balance  of  the  month.  The  "Oneida,"  which  was 
an  opposition  boat  during  this  year,  was  formerly  known  as 
the  "James  Madison,"  which  was  on  the  opposition  the  pre- 
vious year.  The  month  of  May  was  opened  with  the  same  low 
fare  as  existed  during  April,  but  about  the  15th  of  the  month 
one  of  the  opposition  boats  having  been  withdrawn  from  one 
of  the  lines,  leaving  three  boats  on  the  opposition  during  the 
balance  of  the  month,  the  fare  was  raised  almost  generally  to 
fifty  cents  by  all  the  lines,  and  towards  the  last  of  the  month 
to  seventy-five  cents.  During  this  month  two  of  the  boats 
were  laid  up  for  repairs  for  a  short  time,  made  necessary  on 
account  of  collisions,  when  others  took  their  places. 

On  the  first  of  June  the  Associated  lines  bought  the  "Ex- 
press," which  had  previously  been  an  opposition  boat  for  sev- 
eral seasons,  and  a  most  determined  one  at  that,  for  $22,000.00, 
and  also  chartered  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle"  and  sent  her  around 
to  the  Delaware  River  to  run  from  Philadelphia  to  Cape  May 
for  the  excursion  travel  between  these  places.  The  "Belle" 


HUDSON    RIVER.  81 

still  remained  as  an  opposition,  but  on  opposite  days  to  the 
"Express."  The  fare  was  now  raised  to  one  dollar  on  all  the 
night  lines,  and  maintained  during  the  month,  except  during 
the  latter  part,  when  one  dollar  and  a  half  was  the  rate  by  the 
Associated  lines,  leaving  the  opposition,  which  were  smaller 
and  less  commodious  boats  at  one  dollar.  Thus  the  era  of  a 
better  feeling  seems  to  have  been  ushered  in  by  the  advent  of 
warm  weather,  and  was  kept  up  during  July,  with  the  excep- 
tion that  every  other  night  the  Associated  Lines  lowered  the 
fare  to  one  dollar  and  a  quarter,  and  raised  the  fare  of  their 
opposition  on  the. same  night,  which  had  been  one  dollar  to 
one  dollar  and  a  quarter.  A  small  boat,  called  the  "Wave,"  at- 
tempted to  come  on  the  route  to  disturb  the  peace  and  quiet- 
ness, which  reigned  so  supreme  for  the  interest  of  the  steam- 
boat owners  on  the  route,  and  by  cutting  the  rate  to  twenty- 
five  cents,  but  her  career  was  cut  very  short  by  the  Associated 
Lines  putting  on  the  "Express"  as  an  opposition  on  the  same 
night  and  carrying  passengers  free  of  fare.  This  was  more 
than  the  owners  of  the  "Wave"  had  bargained  for,  as  her  third 
trip  completed  her  season's  service  on  the  route.  During 
August  the  Associated  Lines  continued  the  same  rates  as  in 
the  month  of  July.  The  number  of  departures  in  all  during 
this  month,  day  and  night  boats,  was  165,  of  which  only  34 
were  made  by  the  opposition  day  line. 

The  "Oneida,"  during  August,  took  the  place  with  the 
"Belle,"  which  the  "Express"  had  held,  and  continued  to  run 
with  her  during  the  balance  of  the  season.  The  months  of 
September,  October  and  November  found  the  same  rates  of 
fare  prevailing  as  existed  during  August,  on  both  the  Asso- 
ciated Lines  and  opposition.  The  People's  or  Associated  Lines 
had  built  for  them,  during  this  year,  the  "Isaac  Newton," 
which  was  considered  at  that  time  to  be  a  floating  palace. 
She  took  her  place  on  the  line  October  8th,  and  ran  until  the 
25th  of  November,  when  one  of  the  smaller  boats,  the  "Colum- 
bia," was  substituted  for  the  balance  of  the  season,  which 
ended  December  14th.  The  "Isaac  Newton"  was  contracted  for 
by  Capt.  Peck,  to  be  used  as  an  opposition  boat  on  the  river, 
and  named  the  "George  Washington"  until  just  before  launch- 
ing, when  her  name  was  changed  to  "Isaac  Newton."  We  find 
the  Peck  interests  represented  in  the  affairs  of  the  Company 


82  HUDSON    RIVER. 

at  a  later  date,  as  well  as  in  the  Stonington  R.  R.  Co.  the  same 
time  as  Daniel  Drew  was  in  control  of  the  company. 

The  Troy  day  line,  which  always  made  a  landing  at  Al- 
bany, was  opened  this  year  with  the  "Troy,"  on  the  10th  of 
April,  while  the  opposition  boat,  the  "St.  Nicholas,"  had  then 
been  running  for  over  two  weeks,  but  continued  for  onhr  a 
week  after  the  Troy  line  opened  the  season,  the  fare  during 
this  period  being  held  at  one  dollar  and  a  half.  The  old  line 
kept  but  the  one  boat  running,  every  other  day,  from  New  York 
until  the  27th  of  May,  when  the  "Niagara"  was  again  placed 
on  the  line  to  form  a  daily  line  with  the  "Troy."  The  fore  part 
of  May,  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle"  run  as  an  opposition  boat  for 
about  ten  days,  but  there  was  no  cutting  of  the  rates  of  fare. 
From  the  middle  to  the  end  of  the  month  of  May  the  People's 
line  run  the  "South  America"  as  a  day  boat,  when  she  was 
withdrawn  from  the  day  route.  During  the  month  of  June 
the  Troy  day  line  had  undisturbed  possession  of  the  route,  and 
they  made  the  best  of  the  time,  for  on  the  fourth  of  the  month 
the  rate  was  raised  to  two  dollars,  which  remained  constant 
during  the  balance  of  the  month.  The  next  month  also  added 
to  the  fortunes  of  the  line,  for  the  same  rates  continued  as 


during  June.  On  the  23d  the  "Metamora,"  then  a  new  boat, 
made  her  appearance  on  the  route  as  an  opposition,  while  at 
the  same  time  the  People's  line  again  opened  a  day  line  this 
season  by  placing  the  "North  America"  in  opposition  to  the 
"Metamora,"  with  the  fare  at  one  dollar,  the  same  as  by  the 
opposition,  while  the  Troy  line  continued  at  two  dollars.  There 
was  no  change  until  the  10th  of  August,  when  another  new 
boat,  named  "Iron  Witch,"  having  an  iron  hull  and  fitted  with 
small  side  wheels,  was  put  on  with  the  "Metamora"  to  form  a 
daily  opposition  line.  The  first  trip  of  the  "Iron  Witch,"  from 


HUDSON    RIVER.  83 

New  York  to  Albany,  was  made  in  9  hours  and  23  minutes.  A 
few  days  after  the  People's  line  withdrew  the  "North  Amer- 
ica," and  the  Troy  line  was  left  to  compete  with  the  opposition, 
when  the  rate  of  fare  was  cut  during  the  balance  of  the  month 
to  one  dollar,  and  one  dollar  and  a  half  on  alternate  days.  This 
state  of  affairs  remained  until  the  23d  of  September,  when  the 
"Iron  Witch,"  having  been  withdrawn  a  short  time  previous 
for  repairs,  the  "Metamora"  broke  her  shaft  and  was  com- 
pelled to  lay  up  for  repairs.  The  Troy  line  now  having  no  com- 
petition again  raised  the  fare  to  one  dollar  and  a  half.  This 
continued  until  the  "Metamora"  again  came  out  on  the  6th  of 
October,  when  the  rate  was  again  lowered  on  the  same  day  by 
both  lines  to  one  dollar,  while  on  the  opposite  days  to  the 
opposition  the  Old  line  continued  to  charge  one  dollar  and  a 
half,  which  figure  held  during  the  balance  of  the  month.  On 
the  31st  of  October  the  opposition  .ceased  running  and  left 
the  Old  line  during  November  in  full  possession  of  the  route, 
when  the  fare  was  returned  to  one  dollar  and  a  half, -where  it 
remained  during  the  balance  of  the  season,  the  last  day  boat 
leaving  Albany  on  November  25th.  On  the  latter  date  the 
"Niagara,"  which  that  morning  left  New  York,  went  aground 
on  the  Middle  Ground  opposite  Hudson  during  a  heavy  storm 
and  laid  there  high  and  dry,  at  low  water,  until  the  28th  of 
the  month,  when  she  floated  off  at  high  water.  On  the  5th  of 
September  the  "Troy"  broke  down  one  of  her  engines  so  badly 
that  she  was  not  able  to  take  her  place  on  the  line  again  dur- 
ing the  season,  the  "South  America"  being  chartered  from  the 
People's  line  for  the  occasion. 

This  season's  work  appears  to  have  finished  the  "Iron 
Witch."  being  operated  by  small  side  wheels;  in  all,  her  ser- 
vice was  less  than  three  months.  During  the  winter  the  side 
wheels  were  removed  and  side  propellers,  that  were  geared, 
substituted,  but  after  a  few  trials  these  were  found  to  be  no 
improvement. 


84  HUDSON    RIVER. 

1847. 

Peoples'  Line 

Peoples'  Line         Peoples'  Line       Troy  &  Albany  Troy  Day 

Without  Landing       (U.  S.  Mail)      Without  Landing  Boats 

7  P.  M.                       4  P.  M.                     7  P.  M.  Troy  6  A.  M. 

H.  Hudson         South  America  New  Jersey  Niagara 

Isaac  Newton     North  America  Columbia  Troy 

Rochester  Empire 

Columbia 

Troy  &  Opposition  Opposition  Opposition 

Night  Boats  Day  Boats  Without  Landing 

7  P.  M.  7  A.  M.  7  P.  M. 

Rip  Van  Winkle         Roger  Williams         Oneida 
Empire  Metamora  Rip  Van  Winkle 

Alida 

The  season,  this  year,  of  the  opening  of  navigation  was 
later  than  it  had  been  since  1843,  the  first  boat  leaving  Albany, 
April  8th.  The  "Columbia"  and  the  "Rochester"  had  been  run- 
ning to  Hudson  for  about  two  weeks  previous  to  that  date, 
not  being  able  to  cut  their  way  any  farther  through  the  heavy 
ice.  On  April  4th  the  "Columbia"  and  the  "Commerce,"  the  lat- 
ter a  much  smaller  and  older  boat  than  the  "Columbia,"  but  a 
good  ice-boat,  had  cut  their  way  through  to  Castleton,  about 
eight  miles  below  Albany,  and  the  same  day  succeeded  in 
reaching  Van  Wiese's  Point,  four  miles  above,  where  the 
"Rochester"  and  the  "Columbia"  made  their  landings  for  three 
days,  the  passengers  being  transferred  by  sleighs  to  Albany, 
when  the  "Columbia"  endeavored  to  cut  her  way  through  the 
ice  to  the  Capital,  but  was  unsuccessful  in  the  endeavor. 
While  on  her  return  to  Van  Wiese's  Point  the  ice  in  the  river 
began  to  move,  taking  her  along  to  Van  Wiese's  dock  where, 
by  the  use  of  two  good  lines'  fastened  to  trees  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  dock,  they  were  enabled  to  hold  on  until  the  ice  had 
passed  by  them.  Her  wheels  were  badly  broken,  rudder  un- 
shipped, and  fastenings  broken,  which  made  it  necessary  to 
rig  the  small  boat  to  steer  the  vessel,  by  which  means  they 
were  enabled  to  proceed  to  Albany  after  the  ice  had  passed, 
where  she  arrived  the  same  evening  about  6  o'clock. 

The  next  evening,  the  8th,  the  night  boats  began  to  run 
from  Albany,  with  an  opposition  at  the  same  time  by  the  "Rip 
Van  Winkle,"  which  was  followed  the  next  evening  by  the 


HUDSON    RIVER.  85 

"Oneida,"  and  lasted  during  the  entire  month.  The  fare  dur- 
ing this  period  was  by  the  Associated  lines  one  dollar,  and 
one  dollar  and  a  half  on  alternate  nights.  At  this  time  the 
People's  line  had  the  "Isaac  Newton,"  and  the  "Hendrick  Hud- 
son," the  finest  of  the  night  boats  on  the  river ;  also  the  "North 
America,"  and  the  "South  America";  while  the  Troy  and  Peo- 
ple's line  were  running  the  "Columbia,"  and  the  "Empire." 
The  fare  by  the  opposition  lines  opened  at  one  dollar,  but 
dropped  towards  the  end  of  the  month  to  fifty  cents,  where  it 
remained  until  the  opening  of  May.  During  this  time  the  fare 
was  by  the  Associated  lines  from  fifty  cents  to  one  dollar,  while 
by  the  opposition,  which  consisted  of  one  boat  and  that  run  but 
a  few  trips,  the  fare  was  but  twenty-five  cents.  The  "Rip  Van 
Winkle,"  which  had  been  on  the  Albany  opposition  during 
the  previous  month,  was  this  month  doing  service  on  the  Troy 
opposition  night  line,  stopping  at  Albany,  on  which  line  she 
remained  during  the  rest  of  the  season.  In  June,  till  the  14th, 
there  was  no  material  change  from  that  of  May,  when  the 
"Oneida"  returned  again  and  lowered  the  fare  to  twenty -five 
cents,  which  was  held  during  the  balance  of  the  month,  while 
the  Associated  lines  charged  fifty  cents,  except  on  the  same 
night  as  the  opposition,  when  by  one  of  the  lines  the  fare  was 
twenty-five  cents.  During  July,  until  the  20th,  low  rates  were 
the  rule,  as  of  the  previous  month,  on  which  date  the  "Oneida" 
withdrew,  when  the  usual  advance  on  the  withdrawal  of  an 
opposition  was  made,  except  during  this  month  on  the  Mail 
line  that  made  landings  along  the  river,  there  was  no  fare 
charged  the  through  passengers.  The  through  lines  raised 
their  fare  to  seventy-five  cents  and  one  dollar  by  the  last  of 
the  month.  For  a  portion  of  August  the  opposition  boat 
"Oneida"  was  running  on  the  route  again,  but  the  fare  was 
lowered  on  only  one  of  the  Associated  lines,  that  leaving  at 
the  same  hour  as  the  "Oneida."  The  other  lines  maintained 
the  rate  of  one  dollar  during  the  whole  of  the  month.  Dur- 
ing June  there  were  167  departures;  during  July  165  depar- 
tures, and  during  August  164  departures  from  Albany  for  New 
York,  which  included  both  day  and  night  boats.  There  were 
eight  days  in  June  when  seven  boats  left  daily,  five  night  and 
two  day  boats;  three  days  in  July  when  seven  boats  left  daily, 
five  night  and  two  day  boats,  and  five  days  during  August 


8G  HUDSON    1UVEK. 

when  seven  boats  left  daily,  five  night  and  two  day  boats. 
The  month  of  September  was  a  repetition  of  August  until  the 
20th,  when  the  "Santa  Glaus"  entered  as  a  competitor  for  the 
travel,  and  the  fare  then  fell  off  in  price  to  fifty  cents,  on  all 
lines,  with  a  few  days  by  the  People's  and  Troy  line  at  twenty- 
five  cents.  Rates  of  fare  in  October  took  an  upward  turn  from 
the  beginning  of  the  month,  the  opposition  boat,  "Santa 
Glaus,"  leaving  the  route  after  a  few  trips  this  month,  so  that 
by  the  15th,  one  dollar  and  a  quarter  and  one  dollar  and  a  half 
were  the  regular  rates  by  the  Troy,  the  People's,  and  the  op- 
position lines.  November  was  very  steady  in  rates  of  fare,  at 
same  figures  as  .prevailed  the  previous  month,  the  "Rip  Van 
Winkle"  during  all  this  month  running  from  Albany  as  an 
opposition  boat.  In  December  the  opposition  was  withdrawn 
at  an  early  date,  but  the  People's  line  continued  to  run  two 
boats  every  night  till  the  23d,  the  last  leaving  on  the  24th, 
when  the  season  closed  on  account  of  the  ice  running  too 
heavy.  The  rates  of  fare  this  month  was  one  dollar  and  a  half, 
and  two  dollars. 

This  was  a  very  lively  year  for  the  day  boats,  as  there  were 
on  the  route  two  new  boats,  one  of  which  has  a  reputation 
for  high  speed,  the  "Alida";  the  other  was  the  "Roger  Wil- 
liams," and  although  smaller  than  the  "Alida,"  was  a  fair  boat 
for  speed.  The  "Metamora"  opened  the  season  on  April  10th, 
as  the  first  day  boat,  with  the  "Roger  Williams"  on  the  13th, 
and  the  "Alida"  on  the  20th,  with  the  fare  at  one  dollar,  until 
the  "Niagara,"  of  the  Troy  line,  commenced  on  the  26th,  when 
the  fare  fell  to  fifty  cents,  wrhere  it  remained  during  the  bal- 
ance of  the  month.  During  May  there  were,  until  the  17th, 
two  boats,  each  way  a  day,  and  after  that  date  the  "Troy" 
was  placed  on  the  route  as  a  mate  to  the  "Niagara"  to  form 
a  daily  line;  there  were  three  boats  every  other  day  at  the 
same  hour,  with  two  boats  a  day  on  alternate  days,  except 
Sundays,  with  the  fare  at  fifty  cents  during  the  entire  month. 
The  "Metamora"  wa's  withdrawn  the  last  of  May  and  did  not 
appear  on  the  route  again  this  season.  In  June  there  were 
but  two  departures  a  day,  the  "Alida"  and  the  "Troy"  run- 
ning on  the  same  days,  while  the  "Niagara"  and  the  "Roger 
Williams"  competed  daily.  The  same  rate  of  fare  as  existed 
during  May  was  in  force  in  June.  The  months  of  July,  August, 


88  HUDSON    RIVER. 

and  September,  until  the  12th  of  the  latter  month,  saw  the 
same  determined  opposition  with  these  boats,  without  any 
change  in  the  rate  of  fare,  on  which  date  the  "Roger  Williams" 
was  withdrawn,  leaving  the  "Alida"  as  the  only  opposition, 
but  made  no  change  in  the  rate,  except  with  the  "Niagara," 
when  the  fare  was  raised  to  one  dollar,  where  it  remained  dur- 
ing the  balance  of  the  month.  Thus  it  continued  during 
October  until  the  15th,  when  the  fare  was  raised  to  one  dollar 
and  a  half,  the  "Alida"  having  made  her  last  trip  on  the  2d 
of  the  month.  November  was  a  continuation  of  the  latter  part 
of  October  on  the  day  line.  The  last  boat  left  Albany  and 
Troy  on  the  26th  of  the  month.  The  "Oregon"  run  for  two 
weeks  in  the  People's  day  line  this  month.  This  was  the  last 
season  of  the  Troy  day  line. 

During  the  height  of  the  rivalry,  in  the  summer,  the  oppo- 
sition line  advertised  their  departures  in  the  following  man- 
ner: Of  later  years  the  stab  made  at  their  opponents  is  more 
neatly  done. 

"Steamer  Alida." — The  splendid  day  boat  "Alida"  is  now 
the  only  day  boat  for  passengers  to  depend  upon.  She  makes 
all  the  landings  and  arrives  in  Albany  and  Troy  two  hours 
ahead  of  the  old  boat  "Troy."  The  "Troy"  is  twelve  years  old, 
and  her  machinery  is  now  so  worn  as  to  be  constantly  break- 
ing down.  On  Wednesday  her  passengers  did  not  arrive  in 
Albany  until  10  o'clock  at  night,  too  late  for  the  cars,  and  this 
morning  she  was  seen  with  but  one  engine  at  work.  Those 
traveling  should  patronize  the  only  opposition  on  the  river, 
and  more  especially  as  she  is  far  the  best  and  fastest  boat. 
Fare,  fifty  cents." 

This  appears  to  have  been  a  very  lively  year  for  challenges. 
George  Law,  "Live  Oak  George,"  having  beaten  Cornelius 
Vanderbilt  in  a  race  between  the  "Oregon"  and  the  "C.  Van- 
derbilt,"  on  June  1st,  1847,  still  had  a  hankering  after  more 
scalps,  so  in  the  following  August  he  issued  a  challenge,  in  a 
public  manner,  to  the  owners  of  the  "Hendrik  Hudson,"  as 
follows:  (f.  .  .  to  race  the  "Oregon"  against  the  "Hendrick  Hud- 
son," over  the  same  route  as  the  one  selected  in  the  race  with 
the  "C.  Vanderbilt,"  or  any  other  route  to  be  agreed  upon, 
for  $2,000  against  $1,000;  if  that  should  not  be  of  sufficient 
interest,  $3,000  to  |2,000  ...  or  $100  to  $75  on  any  amount 


HUDSON    RIVER.  89 

up  to  |50,000."  If  neither  of  the  above  are  accepted,  Law 
offered  to  run  the  "Oregon"  with  only  one  wheel  against  "Hen- 
drik  Hudson"  for  $1,000.  His  challenge  was  not  answered. 

For  fear  that  the  traveling  public  should  entertain  the 
idea  that  the  "Roger  Williams"  engaged  in  racing  on  the  river, 
her  owners  informed  the  public  "that  the  owners  of  the  "Roger 
Williams"  pledge  themselves  as  well  as  Capt.  DeGroot,  that 
they  will  not  race  with  any  boat  that  may  be  placed  against 
them  by  the  Old  Monopoly  line,  but  make  all  the  landings  ad- 
vertised." This  vessel,  about  five  years  later,  was  sold  to 
Providence,  R.  L,  parties,  who  had  her  refitted  in  hull  and 
machinery,  and  name  changed  to  "Paraguay,"  and  sent  her  to 
South  America,  but  she  sprung  a  leak  off  the  coast  of  Brazil, 
got  into  port,  but  was  finally  condemned  as  unfit  to  continue 
the  voyage. 

1848. 

Peoples'  Line         Peoples'  Line         Peoples'  Line         Peoples'  Line 
Without  Landing       (U.  S.  Mail)  2d  Class  Day  Boats 

6  P.  M.  4  P.  M.  6  P.  M.  7  A.  M. 

Isaac  Newrton     North  America  New  Jersey         H.  Hudson 

Rochester  South  America  Alida 

Oregon  Santa  Claus  Roger  Williams 

Troy  Line  &  P. 

Line  without  Opposition  Sham  Opposition  Opposition 

landing  at  Albany  2d  Class  Day  Boat  Day   Boats 

6  P.  M.  6  P.  M.  6  A.  M.  7  A.M. 

Troy  Rip  Van  Winkle  Confidence      Alida 

Empire  Manhattan  Armenia 

James  Madison 

This  year  the  "Columbia"  and  the  "Norwich"  each  made 
three  trips  from  New  York  to  Albany,  from  January  2d  to  the 
7th,  inclusive,  on  which  latter  date  the  weather  growing 
colder,  the  river  was  closed  again  with  ice.  In  February  the 
"Columbia"  ran  to  Poughkeepsie  from  New  York  a  few  trips, 
and  to  Coeymans  also,  when  the  river  closed  again.  From 
March  10th  to  21st,  she  ran  to  Hudson,  and  the  ice  breaking 
up  on  the  22d,  the  navigation  of  the  river  was  resumed.  The 
opposition  boats  were  not  backward  in  opening  for  business, 
for  on  the  25th  the  "James  Madison"  ("Oneida")  opened  the 
ball  with  -the  fare  at  one  dollar,  which  continued  during  the 
balance  of  the  month  with  her  and  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle," 


90  HUDSON   RIVEK. 

while  the  People's  line  and  the  Troy  line  held  the  fare  at  one 
dollar  and  a  quarter,  and  one  dollar  and  a  half.  During  the 
previous  winter  the  People's  or  Associated  lines  had  pur- 
chased a  one-half  interest  in  the  "Empire,"  the  "Troy,"  the 
"Niagara,"  and  the  "John  Mason,"  the  latter  a  small  boat 
which  was  used  in  the  upper  part  of  the  river  to  aid  the  larger 
boats,  when  necessary,  at  the  shoal  spots  or  bars  in  the  river. 
The  "Niagara"  was  subsequently  sold  to  the  Housatonic  R.  R. 
Co.  of  Connecticut.  The  "Oregon"  was  purchased  by  the  Peo- 
ple's line  from  George  Law,  during  the  early  part  of  this  year. 
The  "Troy"  was  also  fitted  up  as  a  night  boat  to  run  with  the 
"Empire"  as  a  night  line  to  Troy.  The  next  month  was 
ushered  in  by  a  more  determined  opposition,  by  cutting  of 
fare  to  4  and  8  shillings  by  all  the  Albany  night  lines,  but 
this  amusement  seems  to  have  spent  its  force  about  the  18th 
of  the  month,  when  the  opposition  raised  the  fare  to  8  shillings 
and  the  People's  line  to  f  1.25  (10  shillings),  while  the  Troy 
line  held  to  one  dollar  and  a  quarter,  and  one  dollar  and  a  half. 
There  were  a  few  trips  made  this  month  by  the  "Buffalo," 
at  a  passenger  fare  of  2  shillings,  but  this  cut  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  noticed  by  the  other  lines.  This  was  an- 
other of  the  Hancox  line,  to  which  the  "Napoleon"  belonged, 
and  was  a  most  bitter  opponent  of  the  People's  line.  Their 
boats  were  small  and  poorly  equipped  in  comparison.  May 
appears  to  have  been  a  repetition  of  April,  except  for  a  few 
days  when  the  opposition •  cut  to  4  shillings,  but  immediately 
raised  again  to  the  old  fare  of  8  sh.  (one  dollar).  In  June 
the  People's  line  opened  a  second-class  line  with  the  "New 
Jersey,"  at  a  fare  of  8  sh.,  while  the  first-class  line  held  the 
rate  of  one  dollar  and  a  half,  and  the  opposition  held  even 
rate  with  the  "New  Jersey,"  which  was  evidently  done  to  hold 
the  opposition  in  check  and  protect  the  first-class  line  in  their 
rate  of  fare.  These  figures  prevailed  very  generally  during 
July  also,  during  which  month  the  "Manhattan"  took  the 
place  of  the  "James  Madison,"  which  had  retired  in  June,  in 
the  opposition,  and  remained  there  until  September  1st.  The 
month  following  was  broken  by  another  "war  of  rates,"  which 
was  short  in  duration,  lasting  but  the  month  of  August.  The 
second-class  line,  the  "New  Jersey,"  was  joined  on  the  same 
nights  by  the  "Rochester,"  of  the  Associated  line,  making  two 


92  HUDSON    RIVER. 

boats  on  six  different  occasions  during  the  month,  cut  the  rate 
to  twelve  and  one-half,  and  twenty-five  cents,  against  the 
"Rip  Van  Winkle,"  and  the  "Manhattan,"  neither  of  which 
lowered  their  fare  below  twenty-five  cents,  on  any  one  trip, 
during  the  whole  four  weeks.  The  month  closed  by  the  rate 
being  raised  to  one  dollar  by  the  opposition,  while  the  Asso- 
ciated lines  held  the  figures  as  before.  There  were  in  this 
month  176  departures  in  all  from  Albany  to  New  York,  both 
day  and  night  boats,  six  days  when  seven  boats  left  daily. 
During  September  there  was  no  outbreak,  there  being  but  one 
opposition  night  boat,  and  that  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle,"  she 
holding  on  till  the  very  last  of  the  season.  The  rates  were  by 
the  "New  Jersey,"  seventy-five  cents;  by  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle," 
one  dollar,  and  the  Associated  lines  held  to  the  old  figures. 
October  appears  to  have  been  more  favorable  in  rates  of  fare 
for  the  different  lines,  as  they  all  advanced  till  the  "Rip  Van 
Winkle"  was  receiving  one  dollar  and  a  half,  the  "New 
Jersey,"  of  the  second-class  line  the  same,  while  the  first  class 
of  the  Associated  lines  had  advanced  to  one  dollar  and  seventy- 
five  cents.  On  November  22d,  the  opposition  cut  down  the  fare 
once  more  to  one  dollar,  while  the  "New  Jersey"  held  fast  to 
the  figures  of  last  month,  but  the  first-class  line  fell  to  one 
dollar  and  a  quarter  on  the  same  night  as  the  opposition,  but 
the  opposite  night  the  old  rate  of  one  dollar  and  seventy-five 
cents  remained.  During  December  there  does  not  appear  to 
have  been  two  consecutive  days  when  the  fare  was  the  same  by 
any  of  the  lines.  The  highest  rate  during  the  month  was  two 
dollars.  The  river  closed  on  the  28th  of  the  month,  the 
"Columbia"  being  the  last  boat  from  Albany. 

The  day  lines  this  year  were  opened  by  the  "Roger 
Williams,"  for  the  People's  line,  on  March  29th,  with  the  fare  at 
two  dollars,  which  continued  during  April,  when  the  "South 
America"  took  her  place  during  the  latter  part  of  the  month, 
where  she  remained  until  the  6th  of  May,  when  the  "Hendrik 
Hudson"  took  the  route  in  place  of  the  "South  America"  with 
the  "Oregon,"  which  had  been  put  on  the  route  a  few  days 
previous.  On  April  llth  the  "Alida"  opened  her  season  on 
the  route  as  an  opposition  boat,  and  was  followed  on  the  24th 
by  the  "Armenia,"  which  was  a  new  boat.  The  rates  were 
held  by  both  lines  very  generally  at  two  dollars,  up  to  the 


HUDSON    RIVER.  93 

time  the  "Hendrik  Hudson''  coming  on  for  the  People's  line, 
when  they  were  lowered  for  a  few  days  to  one  dollar.  On  May 
loth,  arrangements  were  entered  into  whereby  the  "Alida"  was 
allowed  the  privilege  of  taking  the  place  held  by  the  "Ore- 
gon" as  mate  to  the  "Hendrik  Hudson,"  in  consideration  of  a 
payment  of  a  percentage  of  her  gross  earnings  for  the  privi- 
lege. Under  this  agreement  the  "Alida"  continued  in  the 
People's  day  line  until  the  end  of  the  season.  This  left  the 
"Armenia"  alone  on  the  opposition  on  the  same  days  as  the 
"Hendrik  Hudson,"  which  she  continued  until  the  26th,  hav- 
ing in  the  meantime  cut  the  fare  to  fifty  cents,  which  was 
met  by  the  "Hendrik  Hudson,"  when  the  "Armenia"  was  with- 
drawn ;  the  "Alida"  held  the  fare  at  one  dollar  during  this  cut. 
The  next  month  the  "Alida"  and  the  "Hendrik  Hudson"  had 
no  competition  to  deal  with,  and  the  "dear  traveling  public" 
were  compelled  to  pay  twro  dollars  for  passage  from  New  York 
to  Albany  or  Albany  to  New  York  by  the  day  line. 
July  was  as  remunerative,  in  point  of  rate  of  fare, 
for  the  line  as  that  of  the  previous  month  till  the  27th,  when 
the  "Confidence,"  a  much  smaller  boat  than  either  the 
"Alida"  or  the  "Hendrik  Hudson,"  but  recently  built,  was 
placed  on  the  route  on  the  same  day  as  the  "Alida"  as  an  op- 
position, when  the  fare  fell  to  one  dollar  and  a  half.  This 
was  another  war  of  rates,  and,  what  made  it  interesting,  was 
the  opposition  held  on  till  the  end  of  the  season,  running  on 
the  same  day  with  the  "Alida"  till  October,  when  she  was 
changed  to  the  same  day  with  the  "Hendrik  Hudson."  On 
the  alternate  day  to  the  opposition,  the  usual  fare  of  two 
dollars  wras  charged.  August  opened  with  fare  by  the  "Confi- 
dence" at  one  dollar,  while  the  "Alida"  held  at  one  dollar  and 
a  half.  The  "Confidence,"  on  the  8th,  cut  to  fifty  cents,  while 
the  "Alida"  dropped  to  one  dollar.  This  was  continued  till 
the  29th,  when  the  "Confidence"  lowered  once  more  to  twenty- 
five  cents,  while  the  "Alida"  held  to  the  fare  at  one  dollar. 
These  figures  were  the  ruling  rates  with  these  boats  until  the 
12th  of  September,  when  the  "Alida"  made  another  reduction 
to  fifty  cents,  while  the  "Confidence"  held  fast  at  twenty-five 
cents,  which  rates  both  continued  until  the  29th,  when  the 
"Confidence"  "bulled"  the  rates  to  one  dollar,  and  the  "Alida" 
to  one  dollar  and  a  half.  The  opposition  was  changed  during 


94  HUDSON    RIVER. 

the  first  week  of  the  next  month  to  the  same  day  with  the 
"Hendrik  Hudson,"  and  the  rate  was  once  more  cut  to  twenty- 
five  cents  by  both,  and  in  a  few  days  to  twrelve  and  one-half 
cents  by  the  "Confidence,"  while  the  "Hendrik  Hudson"  re- 
mained at  her  former  fare,  which  remained  constant  with 
them  until  the  20th,  when  the  opposition  raised  the  fare  again 
to  one  dollar,  followed  by  the  "Hendrik  Hudson"  to  one  dollar 
and  a  quarter,  the  prevailing  figures  by  these  boats  during  the 
balance  of  the  month.  As  the  "Alida"  had  no  opposition  with 
her  on  the  same  day,  the  fare  remained  with  her  at  two  dol- 
lars. November  made  no  change  in  the  fare  until  the  "Hen- 
drik Hudson"  was  withdrawn  on  the  15th,  when  the  opposi- 
tion raised  the  fare  to  one  dollar  and  a  half,  while  the.  "Alida" 
continued  at  twro  dollars.  On  December  2d  the  latter  boat 
was  withdrawn,  but  the  "Confidence"  still  remained  on  the 
route  with  the  fare  at  one  dollar  and  a  half  till  the  llth, 
when  it  wras  advanced  to  two  dollars,  which  was  held  until 
she  was  withdrawn  on  the  22d.  This  opposition  was  started, 
it  Is  supposed,  for  the  purpose  of  compelling  the  owners  of  the 
"Alida"  to  withdraw  the  "St.  Nicholas,"  which  they  had  run- 
ning as  an  opposition  on  the  Norwalk  and  New7  York  route. 

1849. 

People's  &  Troy 

Peoples'  Line  Peoples'  Line  Line 

Without  Landing  (U.  S.  Mail)  From  Troy  6  P.M. 

6  P.  M.  4  P.  M.  Albany    7   P.  M. 

Oregon  South  America  Troy 

Isaac  Newrton  Rochester  Empire 

H.  Hudson  Manhattan      .  Columbia 

People's  Line  Opposition  Opposition 

Day  Boats  2d  Class  Day  Boats 

7  A.  M.  7  P.  M.  7  A.  M. 

H.  Hudson  Buffalo  Alida 

New  World  Rip  Van  Winkle          Confidence 

Alida  Rochester  Cataline 

Manhattan 

Eureka 

The  first  boat  through  from  New  York  to  Albany  this 
year  was  the  "Columbia,"  which  was  the  "early  bird'1  on  the 
two  previous  years,,  arriving  at  the  latter  city  on  March  18th. 


HUDSON    RIVER.  95 

On  the  21st  business  opened  with  the  opposition  on  hand  as 
usual,  who  were  ready  to  obtain  all  the  travel  possible,  and 
to  dispute  the  absolute  control  of  the  route  by  the  Associated 
lines.  The  "Rip  Van  Winkle"  was  the  pioneer  of  the  opposi- 
tion this  year,  followed  by  the  "Buffalo''  the  next  day.  The 
fare  by  all  the  lines  running  at  this  time  was  fifty  cents,  and 
one  dollar  on  alternate  days.  April  opened  with  the  fare  by 
all  the  lines  at  fifty  cents  which,  on  the  4th,  was  reduced  by 
the  opposition  to  twenty-five  cents,  and  was  held  very  steady 
during  all  this  month,  except  for  a  few  days  in  the  latter  part, 
when  fifty  cents  was  the  rate.  The  People's  line  held  the  rate 
prevailing  at  the  opening  of  the  month  very  firm  till  its  close, 
while  the  Troy  line,  which  made  a  landing  and  in  which  the 
People's  line  also  had  an  interest,  lowered  the  fare  to  twenty- 
five  cents,  and  fought  the  opposition  with  their  own  rates  dur- 
ing the  whole  month.  May  opened  with  the  "war  of  rates'' 
still  in  operation:  the  People's  line  at  fifty  cents,  the  Troy 
line  at  twenty-five  cents,  which  they  maintained  until  about 
the  15th,  when  they  raised  to  fifty  cents,  while  the  opposition 
continued  the  low  price  of  twenty-five  cents  until  the  loth, 
when  they  lowered  the  rate  to  twelve  and  one  half  cents,  on 
alternate  days,  for  the  remainder  of  the  month.  On  the  18th 
of  May  the  Troy  line  ceased  landing  at  Albany.  On  the  so.ne 
day  the  "Empire,"  while  on  her  way  up  the  river,  was  run 
into  by  the  schooner  "Noah  Brown,"  of  Troy,  in  Xewburg  Bay, 
and  sunk  to  the  promenade  deck  in  a  few  minutes.  She  was 
taken  in  tow  by  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle,"  which  had  also  taken 
off  most  all  her  passengers,  and  beached  near  Fishkill,  oppo- 
site Newburg.  There  were  24  lives  lost  by  this  accident.  It  has 
been  supposed  to  have  been  a  case  of  carelessness  on  the  part 
of  those  in  charge  of  the  schooner  at  the  time,  in  persisting  in 
keeping  on  their  course  when  by  simply  "going  about,"  for 
which  they  had  ample  room,  they  might  have  cleared  the  "Em- 
pire," and  thus  have  saved  the  large  number  of  valuable  lives 
which  were  thus  wantonly  sacrificed.  The  vessel  was  subse- 
quently raised  and  towed  to  New  York,  placed  on  the  Sec- 
tional dock  and  repaired,  and  on  the  line  again  on  the  31st  of 
August.  Her  place  was  taken  during  the  time  of  repairing  by 
the  "Hendrik  Hudson"  for  a  time,  and  afterwards  by  the 
"American  Eagle."  The  "Eureka"  also  appeared  on  the  scene 


96  HUDSON    RIVER. 

of  conflict  on  May  2d,  and  made  eleven  trips  from  Albany  dur- 
ing the  month,  at  the  low  fare  of  twelve  and  one-half  cents. 
During  June  there  was  music  in  the  air,  for  the  rates  were 
by  all  the  lines  mostly  at  "rock  bottom"  rates,  the  opposition 
carrying  passengers  at  twelve  and  one-half  cents,  and  alter- 
nate days  at  twenty-five  cents,  while  the  People's  line  led  off 
the  month  at  fifty  cents,  but  on  the  10th  lowered  to  twenty- 
five  cents,  and  continued  at  that  figure  during  the  balance  of 
the  month.  During  this  month  there  were  two  opposition 
lines,  four  boats  in  all,  while  the  People's  line  was  running 
only  their  regular  6  p.  m.  line  and  the  Mail  line.  During  the 
next  month  the  opposition  lines  seem  to  have  been  very  irregu- 
lar in  their  running  for  a  time,  but  the  low  rates  of  the  pre- 
vious month  prevailed  with  them,  while  the  People's  line  took 
advantage  when  no  opposition  offered  and  raised  the  fare  to 
one  dollar  and  a  quarter,  but  otherwise  low  prices  prevailed 
with  them.  In  these  times  of  sharp  opposition,  a  person 
might  leave  New  York  for  Albany  in  the  morning  and  be  re- 
quired to  pay  but  twenty-five  cents  for  the  passage,  and  possi- 
bly on  his  return  from  Albany,  within  thirty-six  hours,  the 
opposing  lines  may  have  come  to  an  understanding  in  the 
meantime,  and  the  fare  be  raised  to  two  dollars  for  the  return 
trip  by  the  lines.  Thus  it  could  not  be  told  what  the  fare 
would  be  for  the  morrow,  from  one  day  to  another,  or  over 
night  by  the  day  lines. 

The  "runners,"  who  were  employed  on  the  piers  in  the 
sale  of  tickets  for  the  different  boats,  especially  when  the  com- 
peting boats  lay  at  the  same  pier,  were  most  annoying  to  the 
intended  passengers.  Their  shouting  and  boisterous  manner 
was  anything  but  pleasant,  especially  to  the  timid.  They  had 
no  scruples  about  deceiving  passengers  regarding  the  lines 
opposed  to  their  interests,  and  a  favorite  deception  with  them, 
especially  to  females,  was  that  the  opposition  boat  was  un- 
safe, especially  the  boiler,  that  was  liable  to  explode  at  any 
moment.  This  valuable  information,  in  a  majority  of  cases, 
made  a  sale  of  tickets,  even  though  it  might  be  by  an  inferior 
boat. 

One  of  the  tricks  in  carrying  passengers  during  a  fierce 
opposition  is  thus  told:  One  line  was  carrying  passengers 
free  of  all  fare,  when  the  regular  line  went  them  twelve  and 


HUDSON    RIVER.  97 

one-half  cents  better,  and  for  a  few  days  carried  passengers 
by  paying  them  twelve  and  one-half  cents  to  ride,  just  to  get 
more  of  a  crowd  than  the  opposition.  It  was  all  well  enough 
to  be  the  guests  of  the  line,  and  to  be  paid  for  the  honor,  but 
when  they  became  hungry  and  sleepy,  then  was  the  time  the 
management  got  in  their  fine  work,  for  they  never  lost  sight 
of  the  one  shilling  they  had  paid  to  their  guests.  They  now 
exacted  from  the  hungry  and  tired  travelers  double  and  treble 
prices  for  their  meals,  and  a  board  to  lay  upon,  and  one  vic- 
tim afterwards  said  it  was  cheaper  to  pay  one  dollar  fare  than 
to  be  a  guest  of  an  opposition  line. 

In  the  month  of  August  the  opening  rate  of  fare  by  the 
opposition,  which  now  consisted  of  but  two  boats,  was  twenty- 
five  cents,  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle''  and  the  "Manhattan,"  which 
held  firm  till  the  20th,  when  an  upward  turn  was  taken  and 
the  fare  was  placed  at  one  dollar  during  the  balance  of  the 
month.  The  People's  through  line  opened  at  fifty  cents,  but 
on  the  22d  increased  the  fare  to  one  dollar  and  a  quarter, 
which  rate  they  continued  during  the  balance  of  the  month. 
The  Mail  line,  during  this  month,  followed  with  the  same  rate 
of  fare  as  prevailed  with  the  opposition.  Two  of  the  boats,  of 
the  People's  line,  the  "Rochester"  and  the  "South  America," 
were  withdrawn  during  this  month  for  repairs,  in  consequence 
of  damages  received  by  collisions.  On  the  8th  of  September 
the  "Manhattan,"  of  the  opposition  line,  was  taken  into  the 
People's  line  and  placed  on  the  Mail  route,  wrhile  the  "Roches- 
ter" was  put  in  her  place  and  run  alternately  with  the  "Rip 
Van  Winkle."  There  was  also  another  opposition  boat,  the 
"Kosciusko,"  an  old-timer,  which  entered  into  the  "war  of 
rates,"  and  made  it  lively  for  a  time  by  cutting  the  fare  for  a 
few  weeks  to  twenty-five  cents,  which  compelled  the  "Roches- 
ter," for  the  time  being,  to  lower  her  fare  to  fifty  cents.  About 
the  12th,  the  People's  line  took  another  opposition  boat  under 
its  protecting  wing,  the  "Santa  Glaus,"  which  was  placed  in 
the  Mail  line  with,  the  "Manhattan,"  they  being  now  the  com- 
petitors of  their  former  companions  in  the  opposition.  The 
first-class  line  of  the  People's  line  kept  lip  their  rate  of  fare  to 
one  dollar  and  a  quarter  and  one  dollar  and  a  half  during  all 
the  month.  In  October  more  brotherly  love  appears  to  have  pre- 
vailed among  the  lines,  for  the  first-class  line  was  demanding 


98  HUDSON    RIVER. 

one  dollar  and  a  half,  while  the,  Mail  line,  and  the  "Rip  Van 
Winkle/'  of  the  opposition,  and  the  "Rochester"  were  receiv- 
ing one  dollar  and  a  quarter.  November  was  the  same  as 
October  in  rates  of  fare.  December  continued  as  November 
until  the  6th,  when  the  rate  was  raised  by  the  first-class  line 
to  two  dollars,  and  on  the  13th  to  three  dollars,  which  re- 
mained till  the  close  of  the  season.  The  opposition  increased 
their  fare  on  the  7th  to  one  dollar  and  seventy-five  cents,  which 
remained  with  them  for  balance  of  the  season  ending  on  the 
25th.  The  Troy  line  made  landings  at  Albany,  from  July  to 
the  end  of  the  season,  on  Sundays  only,  at  same  fare  as  first- 
class  line. 

On  the  day  line  the  "Confidence,"  which  last  year  was  on 
the  opposition,  opened  the  season  on  the  30th  of  March  in  her 
former  role,  with  the  fare  at  one  dollar  and  a  half,  and  con- 
tinued in  uninterrupted  possession  of  the  route  during  the 
next  month  until  the  17th,  when  the  "Alida"  joined  her,  mak- 
ing a  daily  line,  the  fare  by  the  latter  being  two  dollars,  which 
continued  during  the  remainder  of  the  month.  They  were 
left  in  quiet  possession  of  the  day  travel  on  the  route  until  the 
16th  of  May,  when  the  "Hehdrik  Hudson"  opened  the  season 
for  the  People's  line,  upon  which  the  "Confidence"  broke  the 
rate  of  fare  to  one  dollar,  and  on  the  21st  lowered  again  to 
twenty-five  cents,"  and  was  continued  during  the  balance  of 
the  month.  The  "Hendrik  Hudson"  opened  at  one  dollar  and 
a  half,  which  was  lowered  in  a  few  days  to  fifty  cents,  where 
it  remained  during  the  balance  of  the  month  of  May.  The 
"Alida"  still  continued  the  fare  at  two  dollars.  The  "Confi- 
dence" evidently  got  tired  of  this  game,  for  she  was  with- 
drawn on  the  5th  of  June,  when  the  fare  was  raised  by  the 
"Hendrik  Hudson"  to  two  dollars.  On  the  13th  of  this  month 
the  People's  line  placed  on  their  route  the  "New  World," 
which  had  just  been  completed,  taking  the  place  of  the  "Hen- 
drik Hudson,"  and  continued  the  same  rate  of  fare  as  that 
held  by  the  latter  before  her  withdrawal.  The  "Alida,"  being 
on  the  opposite  day,  had  the  advantage  of  the  same  fare.  On 
the  26th  the  "Cataline,"  belonging  to  the  same  parties  as 
owned  the  "Confidence,"  and  one  of  about  the  same  size  and 
power  as  the  latter,  was  placed  on  the  day  route  as  an  opposi- 
tion, with  the  fare  at  fifty  cents.  At  the  opening  of  July  the 


HUDSON    RIVER.  99 

"New  World,"  and  the  "Alida"  were  running  on  opposite  days, 
forming  a  daily  line  with  the  fare  at  two  dollars,  which  pre- 
vailed during  the  whole  month,  while  the  "Cataline"  was  per- 
forming the  same  part  as  last  month.  There  was  no  com- 
parison to  be  made  between  the  "New  World,"  and  the  "Alida," 
which  were  of  large  size  and  high  speed,  and  the  "Cataline," 
which  was  very  much  smaller  and  of  indifferent  speed  and 
accommodations,  when  compared  to  the  two  former  boats. 
To  show  with  what  indifference  they  looked  upon  this  opposi- 
tion, it  is  but  necessary  to  say  that  on  the  4th  of  August  the 
"Cataline"  lowered  the  fare  to  twenty-five  cents,  while  during 
the  whole  month  the  "New  World  "  and  the  "Alida"  were  re- 
ceiving two  dollars.  During  September  the  rate  was  raised 
by  the  opposition  to  fifty  cents,  and  the  "Alida"  being  on  the 
same  day,  fell  in  rate  of  fare  to  one  dollar  and  a  half,  the  "New 
World"  holding  to  two  dollars,  which  rates  remained  station- 
ary during  the  balance  of  the  month.  October  remained  the 
same  as  the  previous  month,  which  finished  the  season  for  the 
opposition,  when  the  "Alida"  raised  the  fare  again  to  two 
dollars,  which  continued  till  the  end  of  the  season  on  Decem- 
ber 7th. 

The  steamboats  owned  by  the  People's  Line  Association 
were  sold  at  auction,  in  the  Merchants'  Exchange,  in  New 
York  City  on  December  26th,  1849,  and  were  bought  by  a  Mr. 
Dean  at  the  following  prices,  viz, : 

"South    America" |29,000  00 

"New  Jersey" 8,100  00 

"Oregon" 36,000  00 

"Columbia"    16,000  00 

Half   of   each   "Empire,"   "Troy"    and 

"John    Mason" 40,000  00 

"Rochester" 11,500  00 

"Hendrik  Hudson"    48,000  00 

"Isaac  Newton"   127,000  00 

Barge  "DeWitt  Clinton"  240  00 

Barge  "Diamond" 125  00 

The  Association  had  prior  to  this  been  placed  in  hands 
of  a  receiver,  a  Mr.  Eli  Kelly,  who  had  been  in  the  company's 
employ  as  agent  at  Albany.  At  this  time  the  trustees  of  the 
People's  Line  Association  were  Isaac  Newton  and  Daniel 


100 


HUDSON    RIVER. 


Drew,  of  New  York,  and  Elijah  Peck,  of  Flushing,  N.  Y.  The 
trustees  of  the  Troy  and  New  York  Steamboat  Association  at 
the  same  time  were  Jonas  C.  Heartt,  John  A.  Griswold,  and 
LeGrand  B.  Cannon,  all  of  Troy,  N.  Y. 


1850. 

People's  Line 

People's  Line 

People's  & 

Troy 

1st  Class 

Day  Boats 

Line  from 

Troy 

8  P.M. 

7  A.M. 

6  P.  M 

Isaac  Newton 

New  World 

Troy 

H.  Hudson 

Alida 

Empire 

Oregon 

Opposition 

Opposition 

2d  Class 

Day  Boat 

8  P.M. 

7  A.M. 

Rip  Van  Winkle 

Armenia 

Manhattan 

Buffalo 

This  year  the  river  opened  for  navigation  on  March  llth, 
The  Mail  line  was  not  in  operation  this  year.  The  Hudson 
River  railroad  having  been  completed  this  spring  as  far  as 
Poughkeepsie,  the  People's  line  run  two  boats  daily  from  Al- 
bany to  Poughkeepsie  in  connection  with  the  railroad,  leav- 
ing Albany  at  7  a.  m.,  and  3.30  p.  m.,  and  returning  in  the 
afternoon,  and  later  in  the  season  at  11  a.  m.,  and  3.30  p.  m. 
The  "South  America"  run  the  morning  line  until  June,  when 
the  "Armenia"  took  her  place  till  the  latter  part  of  October, 
when  the  "South  America"  was  again  put  on  and  completed 
the  season.  The  afternoon  boat  was  the  "Joseph  Belknap"  till 
November,  when  the  Albany  day  line  to  New  York  finished 
the  season.  The  fare  from  the  opening  of  the  season  to  June, 
by  the  morning  line,  was  two  dollars,  and  from  June  to  August 
20th  one  dollar  and  a  half,  and  from  the  latter  date  to  the 
close  of  the  season,  two  dollars.  The  fare  by  the  afternoon 
boat  was  one  dollar  and  a  half  during  the  entire  season. 

This  year  the  People's  line  run  but  one  line  of  night  boats, 
which  were  composed  of  the  larger  boats,  "Isaac  Newton" 
and  "Hendrik  Hudson,"  and  a  portion  of  the  time  the  "Ore- 
gon." As  soon  as  the  season  opened  the  opposition  put  in  an 
appearance  as  usual  with  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle,"  and  the 
"Buffalo,"  and  on  the  19th  of  March  the  "Manhattan"  tried  her 


HUDSON  RIVER.  101 

fortune  once  more  on  the  route,  in  opposition  to  the  People's 
line.  The  rate  of  fare  varied  during  this  month  on  the  opposi- 
tion lines,  from  twenty-five  cents  to  one  dollar  and  a  half, 
while  the  People's  line  rates  of  fare  were  fifty  cents,  and  on 
alternate  nights,  one  dollar  and  a  half.  The  Troy  line  only 
made  a  landing  this  year  at  Albany  on  Sunday  nights  on  the 
down  trip,  and  their  fare  was  uniform  most  all  of  the  season 
at  one  dollar  and  a  half.  In  April  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle"  was 
run  with  the  "Manhattan"  on  alternate  nights,  and  the  "Buffa- 
lo" was  run  as  an  opposition,  making  three  landings,  while 
the  other  boats  run  through  without  landing.  The  People's 
line  this  month  continued  the  rates  of  the  previous  month  till 
the  22d,  when  they  cut  the:  rates  to  fifty  cents,  and  seventy- 
five  cents  on  alternate  nights,  while  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle," 
and  the  "Manhattan"  sought  for  travel  at  twenty-five  cents, 
and  one  dollar  and  a  quarter  on  alternate  nights  till  the  22d, 
when  they  cut  rates  to  twenty-five  cents  and  fifty  cents  for 
the  balance  of  the  month.  The  "Buffalo"  opened  the  month 
at  twelve  and  one-half  cents,  but  shortly  after  raised  to 
twenty-five  cents,  which  was  the  rate  With  her  to  the  close  of 
the  month.  For  the  first  twenty  days  in  May  the  People's 
line  held  the  rates  at  one  dollar  and  a  quarter,  while  the  oppo- 
sition was  steady  at  one  dollar.  The  "Buffalo,"  on  the  4th, 
broke  her  engine  very  badly,  so  as  to  make  it  necessary  for 
her  withdrawal.  She  was  not  on  the  route  again  during  the 
season  but  for  a  few  days,  her  place  being  taken  during  the 
summer  by  other  boats.  After  the  10th  of  the  month  the  op- 
position lowered  the  fare  to  fifty  cents  again,  which  was  the 
usual  rate  with  them  during  the  balance  of  the  month.  In  the 
latter  part  of  the  month  the  "North  America"  also  tried  a  few 
trips  on  the  opposition,  as  also  did  the  "Connecticut."  After 
the  20th,  the  People's  line  cut  the  rates  to  fifty  cents,  and  one 
dollar  and  a  quarter  on  alternate  nights,  during  the  remainder 
of  the  month.  For  June  there  was  about  the  same  condition 
of  affairs  existing  generally,  as  during  the  previous  month, 
except  that  one  of  the  opposition  lines,  during  a  majority  of 
days  in  the  month,  kept  the  fare  at  twelve  and  one-half  cents, 
while  the  other  opposition  run  for  twenty-five  cents.  Imme- 
diately after  the  opening  of  July  better  rates  prevailed,  so 
that  by  the  10th  the  .People's  line  were  receiving  one  dollar 


102  HUDSON   RIVER. 

and  a  half,  while  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle"  and  the  "Manhattan" 
were  running  for  one  dollar,  and  on  the  15th  raised  to  one 
dollar  and  a  quarter,  which  rates  held  until  the  beginning  of 
August.  On  the  3d  of  July  the  opposition  line  making  land- 
ings withdrew,  and  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle"  and  the  "Manhat- 
tan" were  left  during  the  balance  of  the  season  with  all  the 
opposition  in  their  own  hands.  During  August  and  Septem- 
ber the  two  night  lines  were  at  peace,  so  far  as  rates  were 
concerned,  but  during  October  the  People's  line  were  receiving 
one  dollar  and  a  half,  while  the  opposition  held  the  fare  at 
one  dollar.  During  November  the  People's  line  kept  the 
same  fare  as  in  October,  while  the  opposition  raised  to 
one  dollar  and  a  quarter.  These  rates  continued  in  force  till 
the  close  of  navigation  on  December  17th. 

There  were  no  day-line  boats  from  New  York  to  Albany 
this  year,  until  the  "New  World"  opened  the  season  on  May 
6th,  and  the  "Alida"  followed  on  the  22d  of  the  same  month, 
'with  the  fare  at  two  dollars.  June  was  a  repetition  of  May, 
except  for  three  days  when  the  "Armenia"  entered  as  an  oppo- 
sition, when  rates  were  cut  by  both  lines  on  the  same  day  to 
one  dollar.  On  the  13th  of  June  the  "Armenia"  was  placed  on 
the  Railroad  line  to  Poughkeepsie,  by  the  People's  line,  which 
broke  up  all  opposition  to  the  day  line  for  the  remainder  of 
the  season.  The  "New  World,"  and  the  "Alida"  run  until  the 
latter  part  of  October,  when  the  "Armenia"  was  taken  off  the 
Railroad  line,  and  with  the  "Alida"  completed  the  season  of 
the  day  line,  in  the  place  of  the  "New  World,"  which  ended 
November  25th  of  this  year. 

1851. 

People's  Line  People's  &  Troy  People's  Line 

1st  Class  Line  from  Troy  Day  Boats 

8  P.  M.  7.30   P.  M.  7  A.  M. 

Isaac  Newton  Troy  South  America 

H.  Hudson  Empire  New  World 

Oregon  Reindeer 

Independent 
Line  Day  Boats  Opposition 

7  A.  M.  7  P.  M. 

Alida  Manhattan 

Henry  Clay  Rip  Van  Winkle 

Buffalo 


HUDSON   RIVER.  103 

The  ice  broke  up  in  the  river  this  winter  to  allow  the 
boats  to  run  on  the  25th  of  February.  The  People's  line  at 
once  opened  their  night  line  with  the  "Oregon"  and  the  "Hen- 
drik  Hudson,"  with  the  fare  at  one  dollar  and  a  half,  and  on" 
the  26th  the  "Buffalo"  started  the  season's  opposition  at  the 
low  rate  of  fifty  cents.  On  March  the  2d,  the  "Manhattan" 
joined  the  "Buffalo,"  the  two  forming  a  daily  opposition  line, 
and  they  immediately  began  their  work  of  cutting  the  rates  of 
fare,  in  this  instance  to  twenty-five  cents,  and  fifty  cents  on 
alternate  nights,  which  they  held  up  until  the  16th  of  the 
month,  when  the  rates  were  raised  to  one  dollar,  which  re- 
mained constant  with  them  till  April.  The  People's  line  held 
their  rates  very  steady  at  one  dollar,  and  one  dollar  and  a 
half  during  the  first  half  of  March,  after  which  time  one  dollar 
and  a  quarter,  and  one  dollar  and  a  half  were  charged  till  the 
close  of  the  month.  On  the  4th  of  March  the  "Armenia"  was 
again  placed  on  the  Railroad  line,  between  Albany  and  Pough- 
keepsie,  at  1  p.  m.,  with  the  fare  at  two  dollars,  where  she  re- 
mained until  the  Hudson  River  railroad  was  opened  between 
Albany  and  Hudson  on  June  14th,  when  she  was  placed  on 
the  route  between  Poughkeepsie  and  Hudson,  to  fill  the  gap 
on  the  unfinished  portion  of  the  railroad,  when  the  line  from 
Albany  to  Poughkeepsie  was  discontinued.  The  Troy  line 
commenced  running  on  March  14th,  landing  at  Albany  only 
on  Sunday  nights,  which  was  continued  all  the  season.  The 
first  half  of  April  the  same  state  of  affairs  existed  between 
the  Albany  lines,  as  were  prevailing  during  the  last  half  of 
March,  but  on  the  16th  they  once  more  cut  into  the  rates,  the 
opposition  falling  off  to  fifty  cents,  while  the  People's  line  fell 
to  fifty  cents,  and  one  dollar  on  alternate  nights,  which  they 
both  continued  during  the  balance  of  the  month.  On  the  22d 
of  March  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle"  took  the  place  of  the  "Buffalo," 
she  having  been  lengthened,  refurnished,  and  refitted  during 
the  previous  winter,  so  that  she  was  a  much  finer  boat  than 
originally.  The  "Buffalo"  was  again  placed  on  the  route  to 
run  at  a  lower  fare  than  the  other  opposition,  which  she  con- 
tinued for  a  little  over  a  month  at  twelve  and  one-half  cents, 
and  a  portion  of  the  time  at  twenty-five  cents,  when  she  was 
withdrawn.  May  showed  very  slight  changes  in  rates  of  fare 
from  the  latter  part  of  the  month  of  April,  on  the  People's 


104  HUDSON   RIVER. 

line,  while  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle"  and  the  "Manhattan"  held 
to  their  rates  of  the  previous  month,  except  a  few  days,  when 
fare  at  tw^enty-five  cents  prevailed  with  them.  The  first  twenty 
•days  of  June  the  opposition  was  on  the  "bear"  side  of  the  mar- 
ket, with  the  low  fare  of  twenty-five  cents  very  steady  during 
that  period,  but  after  that  they  raised  the  fare  to  one  dollar, 
which  rate  they  retained  till  July.  The  People's  line  kept  on 
the  even  tenor  of  their  wray,  and  maintained  their  rates  till 
the  20th,  when  they  raised  to  one  dollar  and  a  quarter,  and 
held  at  that  figure  the  balance  of  the  month.  The  next  month 
presented  no  changes  of  moment,  either  in  the  boats  on  the 
route,  or  the  rates  of  fare,  which  remained  as  they  were  dur- 
ing the  latter  part  of  the  previous  month.  August,  Septem- 
ber, and  October,  until  the  13th  of  the  latter  month,  was  with- 
out any  change,  on  which  date  the  "war  of  rates"  again  com- 
menced, and  this  time  at  fifty  cents,  by  both  lines  every  night, 
and  was  kept  up  steady  until  the  close  of  the  season  on  De- 
cember llth.  This  would  appear  to  have  been  one  of  the  most 
determined  of  all  the  "wars"  up  to  this  time,  at  this  rate  of 
fare  without  any  change,  and  for  such  a  length  of  time.  It 
existed  for  two  months  lacking  two  days,  and  was  only  then 
brought  to  a  close  by  the  heavy  ice  in  the  river,  compelling 
them  to  cease  their  rivalry,  or  there  is  no  telling  how  much 
longer  it  might  have  continued.  The  boats  always  ran  as  long 
as  they  were  able  to  get  through  the  ice  to  Albany,  and  when 
that  was  impossible  would  land  at  the  nearest  point  to  the 
railroad,  and  send  their  passengers  on  by  rail. 

The  day  lines  opened  for  travel  on  April  9th  with  the 
"South  America,"  and  on  the  15th  the  "Reindeer,"  which  was 
then  a  new  vessel,  and  has  always  been  considered  one  of 
the  high-speed  boats  of  the  river  in  her  day,  was  placed  on 
opposite  days  to  the  "South  America."  The  "Reindeer"  was 
originally  built  for  the  New  York  and  New  Brunswick,  N.  J., 
route,  by  the  New  Brunswick  Steamboat  Co.,  whose  principal 
stockholders  were  James  Bishop,  E.  J.  Jacques,  and  J.  A. 
Williamson.  The  vessel  wras  completed  in  August,  1850,  and 
made  but  one  or  two  trips  to  the  Raritan  River.  In  Septem- 
ber she  was  running  as  a  day  boat  from  New  York  to  New 
Haven,  Conn.,  in  opposition  to  the  New  York  and  New  Haven 
R.  R.,  leaving  New  York  at  8  a.  m.,  and  leaving  New  Haven 


HUDSON  RIVER.  105 

the  same  day  at  1.30  p.  m.,  with  passenger  fare,  seventy-five 
cents.  This  continued  for  two  or  three  months.  The  lines  of 
the  hull  of  this  vessel  were  those  well  adapted  for  high  speed, 
and  it  would  seem  as  though  the  vessel  should  have  gone  well 
in  either  direction.  During  this  summer  the  owners  of  the 
"Reindeer"  purchased  the  "Alida." 

The  fare  during  the  month  of  April  was  one  dollar  and  a 
half  by  the  "Reindeer,"  while  by  the  "South  America"  two 
dollars  was  demanded.  An  agreement  was  made  between  the 
People's  line  and  the  owners  of  the  "Reindeer,"  as  to  the  rates 
of  fare  on  their  day-line  boats.  During  the  month  of  May 
there  was  no  change,  except  the  "New  World"  took  the  place 
of  the  "South  America"  on  the  15th,  and  on  the  28th  of  the 
month  the  fare  was  raised  to  two  dollars,  and  those  figures 
prevailed  until  the  18th  of  June,  when  it  was  lowered  on  both 
boats  to  one  dollar  and  a  half,  and  was  kept  steady  at  that 
figure  until  July.  On  July  2d  another  new  boat  made  its  ap- 
pearance on  the  river  on  the  day  route:  this  was  the  "Henry 
Clay,"  as  an  opposition  boat,  with  fare  lowered  to  fifty  cents, 
and  being  on  the  same  day  with  the  "New  World,"  compelled 
the  People's  line  to  meet  the  cut  rate  of  the  opposition.  The 
"Henry  Clay"  was  withdrawn  on  the  25th,  after  which  date 
the  former  rates  of  fare  prevailed  from  this  time  until  the  17th 
of  October,  when  they  wrere  lowrered  to  one  dollar,  and  re- 
mained there  during  the  balance  of  the  season,  which  ended 
on  November  llth  for  the  day  boats.  The  "New  W'orld"  and 
the  "Reindeer"  formed  the  line  until  September  25th,  when 
the  "Henry  Clay"  and  the  "Alida"  took  their  places  until 
October  18th,  when  the  "Thomas  E.  Hulse"  finished  the  season 
with  the  "Henry  Clay." 

1852. 

People's  Line  People's  Line 

1st  Class  Troy  Line  2d  Class 

8  P.  M.  7  P.  M.  7  P.  M. 

H.Hudson  Troy  Rip  Van  Winkle 

Isaac  Newton  Empire  Oregon 

New  World 


106  HUDSON   RIVER. 

Opposition  Regular  Line  Opposition 

2d  Class  Day  Boats  Day  Boats 

7  P.M.  7  A.M.  7  A.M. 

Manhattan  Reindeer  Francis  Skiddy 

Francis  Skiddy  Alida  Henry  Clay 

Armenia 

The  first  boat  through  to  Albany  this  season  was  the 
"Nimrod,"  that  had  been  on  the  New  York  and  Bridgeport 
route,  and  arrived  at  Albany  on  March  28th,  but  did  not  run 
there  again  during  the  season.  The  opening  of  navigation 
found  the  "Manhattan"  once  more  on  hand  as  the  opposition, 
but  her  consort  in  previous  years,  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle,"  was 
now  under  the  protecting  wing  of  the  People's  line  and  ready 
to  compete  with  her  former  ally  for  the  travel  of  the  river. 
The  fare  by  each  of  the  lines  was  fifty  cents,  both  first  and 
second  class,  which  figure  was  retained  during  the  month  of 
April.  The  Troy  line  during  this  season  did  not  make  any 
landings  at  Albany.  The  conditions  of  the  lines  were  the  same 
during  May,  except  the  "Manhattan"  cut  the  rate  to  twenty- 
five  cents  for  a  few  trips,  but  soon  restored  it  to  the  former 
prices.  In  June  the  People's  line  held  their  own  previous 
rate,  while  the  opposition  cut  for  the  whole  month  to  twenty- 
five  cents,  and  was  joined  for  two  weeks  by  the  "Santa 
Claus"  in  the  cut.  For  July  the  first-class  boats  of  the  Peo- 
ple's line  held  to  the  fare  at  fifty  cents,  but  the  second  class 
kept  company  with  the  opposition,  on  the  low  fare  of  twenty- 
five  cents  for  considerable  time  during  the  month,  after  which 
there  was  the  usual  raise.  During  August,  September  and 
October  a  better  feeling  existed  between  all  the  lines.  There 
were  no  further  moves  made  for  knocking  down  the  rates,  and 
the  season  closed  December  23d  with  the  fare  at  fifty  cents. 
On  October  13th  the  "Francis  Skiddy"  run  on  the  opposition 
night  line  till  the  close  of  the  season,  having  previous  to  this 
been  on  the  day  route  since  her  first  trip  in  the  spring  of  the 
year.  The  "New  World"  was  in  the  place  of  the  "Rip  Van 
Winkle"  after  October  21st,  put  on  in  direct  opposition  to 
the  "Francis  Skiddy,"  as  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle"  was  no  match 
for  the  "Francis  Skiddy,"  and  continued  on  the  7.  p.  m.  line  till 
the  close  of  navigation. 

This  was  a  lively  year  on  the  day  line,  as  there  were  dur- 


HUDSON   RIVER.  107 

ing  this  season  four  steamboats  on  the  route,  which  have  rec- 
ords of  fast  time  and  speed  given  them  between  New  York 
and  Albany,  namely,  the  "Alida,"  the  "Reindeer,"  the  "Francis 
Skiddy,"  and  the  "Armenia."  The  "Henry  Clay"  was  one 
above  the  average,  and  forced  the  abler  ones  to  keep  awake  to 
maintain  their  reputation  for  speed,  although  she  was  not 
able  to  cope  with  them  under  all  circumstances.  It  is  not  to 
be  inferred  from  this  that  these  were  the  only  steamboats  of 
high  speed  that  had  been  on  the  river;  but  there  had  not  been 
a  year  when  so  many  had  been  together  on  the  day  line,  and 
all  of  them  comparatively  new  boats.  The  "Alida"  was  about 
five  years  old,  the  "Reindeer"  two  years  old,  the  "Armenia" 
four  years  old,  and  the  "Francis  Skiddy"  just  completed  dur- 
ing the  spring  of  the  year.  It  must  be  remembered  there  was 
the  "New  World,"  which  was  able  to  hold  her  own  with  the 
best  of  those  previously  named,  but  she  was  on  the  night  line 
this  year.  There  was  also  the  "South  America,"  but  she  was 
now  about  twelve  years  old.  All  of  those  named,  as  well  as 
the  "New  World,"  were  capable  at  this  time,  when  circum- 
stances were  favorable,  to  make  the  trip  between  New  York 
and  Albany  within  eight  hours,  and  make  all  the  landings. 
The  conditions  should  be  sufficient  depth  of  water  in  the 
river  above  Hudson,  leaving  New  York  on  the  last  of  the  flood 
tide,  and  having  but  little  or  no  head  wind.  The  fast  trip  of 
the  "South  America,"  of  1844,  was  made  with  the  wind  blow- 
ing a  gale  from  the  southeast.  There  have  been  a  few  trips 
made  by  different  boats,  one  of  them  by  the  "South  America," 
of  under  eight  hours  from  Albany  to  New  York,  when  the 
river  has  been  swollen  by  a  freshet. 

The  consumption  of  fuel  of  some  of  these  fast  day  boats 
during  their  trips  of  about  9  hours  was:  "South  America," 
25  to  28  tons;  "Armenia,"  15  tons;  "Francis  Skiddy,"  28  to  32 
tons;  "New  World,"  38  to  40  tons;  "Reindeer,"  18  to  20  tons; 
"Alida,"  20  tons.  All  anthracite  coal.  When  they  were  rac- 
ing the  increase  of  fuel  would  be  about  30  per  cent,  greater 
than  the  above  figures. 

The  season  for  the  day  boats  did  not  open  this  year  until 
May  1st,  when  the  "Reindeer"  opened  the  season,  followed  by 
the  "Alida."  The  "Armenia,"  as  an  opposition,  commenced 
running  on  the  same  day  as  the  "Reindeer,"  and  the  "Henry 


108  HUDSON   RIVER. 

Clay"  followed  on  the  7th.  of  the  month.  The  rate  of  fare  was 
by  the  regular  line,  fifty  cents;  that  was  maintained  until  the 
22d,  while  the  opposition  led  off  at  twenty-five  cents,  but 
toward  the  close  of  the  month  thought  better  of  such  ruinous 
prices  and  withdrew  until  the  15th  of  June,  when  they  came 
upon  the  scene  of  activity  again.  They  had  no  trusts  in  those 
days,  but  some  combinations  they  formed  did  not  last  over 
night. 

After  the  22d  of  May  the  regular  line  raised  the  fare  on 
account  of  no  opposition  to  one  dollar,  but  when  the  "Henry 
Clay"  and  the  "Armenia"  were  back  again,  then  the  fare  fell 
once  more  to  fifty  cents.  On  the  21st  of  June,  the  "Francis 
Skiddy"  made  her  first  trip  and  entered  with  the  "Henry  Clay" 
on  opposite  days  in  competition  with  the  regular  line.  The 
"Francis  Skiddy's"  hull  was  built  in  1848-49,  by  George  Coll- 
yer,  with  the  purpose  of  placing  in  her  a  Rotary  engine  of  large 
dimensions,  but  this  plan  was  abandoned  and  the  hull  laid  up 
at  Cold  Spring,  N.  Y.,  for  about  a  year,  when  it  was  bought 
by  James  McCullough,  of  New  York,  and  fitted  with  a  beam- 
engine  by  Joseph  Belknap.  The  hull  was  launched  under  the 
name  of  "General  Taylor."  A  better  rate  of  fare  existed  dur- 
ing July,  the  prevailing  fare  being  one  dollar. 

The  "Francis  Skiddy"  and  the  "Alida"  maintained  a 
lively  opposition  this  season,  as  they  were  running  on  the 
same  day  from  New  York  and  from  Albany  most  of  the  time, 
and  so  fierce  became  the  contest  that  it  was  almost  a  daily 
occurrence  for  them  to  meet  at  some  of  the  landings,  and 
then  how  the  splinters  flew!  The  owners  of  the  "Skiddy"  an- 
nounced that  "this  boat  will  leave  at  7  o'clock,  unless  the  oppo- 
sition boat  leaves  before,  in  which  case  the  "Skiddy"  will  leave 
at  the  same  time  she  does,  but  under  no  circumstance  will 
any  of  the  landings  be  passed." 

On  Wednesday,  July  28th,  the  "Henry  Clay,"  while  on  a 
trip  down  the  river,  and  when  a  short  distance  below  Yonkers, 
caught  fire  and  was  burned  to  the  water's  edge.  The  vessel 
was  run  ashore  about  two  miles  below  Yonkers  dock>  in  the 
vicinity  of  Forest's  Castle,  or  Riverdale.  It  was  one  of  those 
accidents  on  the  water  which  seem  to  electrify  the  community 
and  cause  them  to  ask,  if  there  is  any  safety  from  such  appall- 
ing disasters.  The  "H<enry  Clay"  started  from  Albany  on  this 


JIJI 


I      l!  i 


a  i  MI- 

y1'1! 


110  HUDSON   RIVER. 

day,  at  the  same  hour  as  the  "Armenia,"  and  it  was  soon  evi- 
dent that  a  strong  endeavor  was  to  be  made  to  get  and  main- 
tain the  lead  of  the  other  boat,  each  of  the  boats,  in  turn, 
passing  landings  where  the  other  had  stopped.  At  length,  in 
a  narrow  channel  in  the  river  near  Bhinebeck,  the  boats  came 
in  contact,  not  in  such  a  manner  as  to  do  any  serious  damage, 
but  sufficient  to  excite  alarm  among  the  passengers  of  both 
vessels.  The  effect  of  the  collision  was  to  cause  the  "Armenia" 
to  drop  astern,  and  the  "Henry  Clay"  then  took  and  main- 
tained the  lead,  increasing  the  distance  between  them  up  to 
the  time  of  the  breaking  out  of  the  fire  at  3.15  p.  m.  It  is 
supposed  that  just  previous  to  the  fire,  the  blower  having 
been  put  in  operation  for  increasing  the  draft  of  the  furnaces, 
and  that  the  furnace  doors  not  being  securely  fastened,  the 
strong  blast  from  the  blower  had  forced  open  the  furnace 
doors  and  drove  the  flames  from  the  furnaces  against  the 
wood-work  in  the  vicinity  of  the  boiler,  that  was  in  the  hold 
of  the  vessel,  which  took  fire  immediately  and  burned  with 
alarming  rapidity.  The  vessel  was  run  ashore  head  on,  but 
the  larger  number  of  passengers  being  aft  of  the  engine  and 
boiler  were  obliged  to  take  to  the  water,  which  was  here  very 
deep  almost  to  the  shore,  though  a  number  remained  on  board 
the  vessel  until  actually  forced  by  the  fire  to  take  to  the  water. 
It  is  believed  that  over  one  hundred  lives  were  lost  by  this 
lamentable  occurrence;  should  not  be  called  an  accident. 

The  "Francis  Skiddy,"  after  the  burning'  of  the  "Henry 
Clay,"  was  alone  on  the  opposition  day  line  most  of  the  time 
till  the  18th  of  September,  when  her  place  was  taken  by  the 
"George  Washington,"  a  much  smaller  and  by  no  means  as 
able  a  boat,  until  the  5th  of  October.  During  August,  as  the 
"Skiddy"  was  the  only  opposition,  there  was  a  cutting  of 
rates  on  them  days  to  fifty  cents,  while  on  alternate  days  one 
dollar  was  charged. 

On  September  3d  the  "Reindeer,"  while  on  a  trip  up  the 
river,  and  lying  at  the  dock  at  Bristol  about  1  p.  m.,  met  with 
a  very  serious  accident  by  the  bursting  of  one  of  the  connec- 
tions of  one  of  her  boilers,  resulting  in  the  loss  of  many  lives, 
estimated  at  the  time  to  be  about  thirty,  besides  a  number 
very  badly  scalded.  The  boilers  of  this  steamboat  were  in 
the  hold,  and  most  of  those  either  killed  or  scalded  were  at 


HUDSON   RIVER. 


Ill 


the  time  in  the  dining  saloon  that  was  just  aft  of  the  boiler- 
room.  Immediately  after  the  accident  the  vessel  caught  fire 
and  was  cut  loose  from  the  pier  and  permitted  to  run  ashore 
on  the  flats  just  above  the  scene  of  the  accident,  where  she 
burned  to  the  water  edge,  and  what  remained  sunk  on  the 
flats.  What  was  of  service  of  the  machinery  was  afterwards 
used  in  the  steamship  "Perseverance,"  built  for  the  Morgan 
line,  of  New  Orleans,  La. 


After  the  accident  to  the  "Reindeer,"  the  "Alida,"  that 
had  been  sold  to  Daniel  Drew,  and  the  "Francis  Skiddy"  kept 
the  fare  at  one  dollar,  which  was  held  by  all  interested  till 
the  close  of  the  season.  There  were  several  days  during  this 
period,  although  not  for  any  extended  time,  when  the  rivalry 
was  so  sharp  that  the  runners  sold  tickets  on  the  piers  as  low 
as  twelve  and  one-half  cents  for  a  through  passage  between 
New  York  and  Albany. 

Several  accidents  happened  this  year  to  the  day  boats. 
On  May  6th  the  "Reindeer"  burst  her  steampipe,  slightly 
scalding  two  passengers.  On  the  night  of  May  23d  the  "Henry 
Clay,"  which  had  left  New  York  the  same  afternoon  to  be  in 
Albany  the  next  morning  to  change  her  day,  so  as  to  be  in 
opposition  to  the  "Alida,"  having  previously  been  on  the 
same  day  with  the  "Reindeer,"  broke  her  shaft,  which  com- 
pelled her  to  withdraw  for  a  few  weeks.  On  July  2d  the 
"Alida"  broke  her  shaft  also,  which  made  it  necessary  for  her 
to  be  off  the  scene  of  activity  for  two  weeks.  There  wras  also 
the  destruction  of  the  "Henry  Clay,"  on  July  28th,  as  well  as 
the  burning  of  the  "Reindeer"  on  September  3d,  both  pre- 
viouslv  mentioned. 


112 


HUDSON"   RIVER. 


People's  Line 

1st  Class 

7  P.M. 

H.  Hudson 
Isaac  Newton 


1853. 

Troy  Line 
6  P.M. 

Empire 
Oregon 
Rip  Van  Winkle 


Merchants'    Line 

Opposition 

7  P.  M. 

Francis  Skiddy 
Manhattan 


Day  Line 
7  A.  M. 


Opposition 

Day  Line 

7  A.M. 


G.  Washington 
Oregon 
New  World 
Armenia 


Francis  Skiddy 


The  opening  of  navigation  this  year  on  the  Hudson 
River  was  on  the  23d  of  March.  The  "Hendrik  Hudson"  and 
the  "Isaac  Newton"  were  at  once  placed  on  the  route  by  the 
People's  line,  and  at  the  same  time  the  "Francis  Skiddy" 
opened  on  the  opposition  line  for  the  season.  The  fare  was 
placed  at  fifty  cents  by  both  lines,  wihich  lasted  through  the 
month.  The  "Manhattan"  joined  the  opposition  on  the  10th  of 
April,  thus  forming  a  daily  opposition  line.  The  two  lines  run 
under  the  foregoing  condition  during  the  remainder  of  the 
month,  through  the  month  of  May  and  during  June  until  the 
29th,  when  the  "Francis  Skiddy"  commenced  leaving  New 
York  every  morning,  and  Albany  every  evening,  thus  making 
a  round  trip  inside  of  24  hours  as  the  opposition.  This  ex- 
traordinary performance  was  continued  during  July  and  up 
to  August  15th,  a  period  of  seven  weeks,  when  she  was  placed 
on  the  day  line,  solely  for  a  few  weeks,  when  she  was  with- 
drawn and  once  more  run  as  a  night  boat  with  the  "Manhat- 
tan" until  the  24th  of  October,  when  she  was  sold,  and  subse- 
quently run  in  the  Erie  R.  R.  line  and  in  the  Troy  line.  Other- 
wise, the  night  lines  run  without  any  change  of  importance 
during  the  balance  of  the  season,  which  ended  December  20th. 

The  "Francis  Skiddy"  seems  to  have  had  an  eventful 
career.  After  running  two  seasons,  her  original  owner  lost 
the  controlling  interest  in  the  vessel,  J.  E.  Andrews  and  Geo. 
W.  Coster  each  having  a  two-twentieths  interest,  and  the  Erie 
R.  R.  Co.  a  five-twentieths  interest,  in  May,  1852.  Shortly  af- 


HUDSON   KIVER.  113 

ter  Cornelius  Vanderbilt  obtains  the  majority  interest,  and  in 
a  few  months  Eli  Kelly  and  Daniel  Drew,  both  directors  in 
the  People's  line,  have  the  sixteen-twentieths  interest  of  the 
vessel,  after  which  the  New  Jersey  Steam  Navigation  Co.  take 
the  vessel  and  she  is  run  in  the  Erie  R.  R.  line,  and  after  that 
in  the  Troy  line.  At  the  time  the  vessel  was  taken  in  the  Erie 
line,  Daniel  Drew  was  a  power  in  the  Company.  At  the  same 
time  he  was  in  the  combination,  through  his  control  of  the 
People's  line,  of  the  through  route  between  New  York  and 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  in  connection  with  the  system  of  railroads  then 
running  between  Albany  and  Buffalo,  at  a  lower  rate  than 
could  be  met  by  the  Erie  R.  R.  Co.,  in  which  he  was  interested 
and  represented  by  others  in  the  Board  of  Directors.  Homer 
Ramsdell  was  about  this  time  President  of  the  Company. 

There  were  three  of  the  day-line  steamboats  of  this  period 
that  were  built  as  outside  speculations  by  their  owners,  with 
the  result  that  the  "lambs"  laid  down  inside  of  the  king  of 
the  forest.  The  regulars  managed  to  gather  them  in  when 
wanted,  or  when  they  showed  too  factious  an  opposition. 

The  day  lines  did  not  commence  running  this  year  until 
May  18th,  when  the  "George  Washington,"  a  very  inferior  type 
of  vessel  for  the  route,  opened  the  season  and  continued  to 
serve  the  day  line  alone  until  the  6th  of  June,  when  the  "New 
World"  was  added  and  continued  until  the  latter  part  of  the 
month,  when  she  was  withdrawn  for  repairs  to  one  of  her 
water  wheels.  On  July  1st,  while  lying  at  her  wharf  in  New 
York  and  but  a  few  minutes  prior  to  the  time  for  starting 
on  her  passage  to  Albany,  four  of  the  main  flues  to  the  outside 
furnace  of  the  port  boiler  collapsed  at  the  same  instant,  result- 
ing in  the  loss  of  eight  lives,  all  of  'them  firemen  and  other 
hands  belonging  to  the  boat.  The  "Skiddy"  had  begun  to 
run  a  few  days  previous  to  this  disaster  on  the  "New  World" 
a  round  trip  from  New  York  in  twenty-four  hours,  and  it  was 
talked  around  a  day  or  so  prior  to  1st  of  July  that  the  "New 
World"  and  the  "Francis  Skiddy"  were  to  have  a  trial  of 
speed  oii  that  day.  On  the  coroner's  inquest  held  a  day  or 
so  after  the  disaster,  some  of  the  officers  and  several  of  the 
hands  employed  on  the  vessel  testified  that  the  night  before 
a  very  heavy  thunderstorm  passed  over  the  city  and  during 
its  passage  there  was  a  very  heavy  crash  heard,  and  what 


114  HUDSON   RIVER. 

they  supposed  must  have  been  a  bolt  of  lightning  that  passed 
down  the  smoke-pipe  into  the  boiler  and  had  done  some 
damage.  This  part  of  the  question  was  settled  in  their  own 
way  by  the  steamboat  inspectors  in  their  examination.  The 
following  is  the  report,  in  part,  of  the  steamboat  inspectors^ 
and  was  the  first  investigation  and  report  made  by  the  New 
York  inspectors  under  the  law  of  1852.  At  this  time  they 
made  their  report  to  the  Collector  of  the  Port,  but  about 
1855  the  law  was  amended. 

New  York,  August  9th,  1853. 
Hon  Greene  C.  Bronson,  Collector. 

SIR: — In  relation  to  the  explosion  of  the  steamer  "New 
World"  we  have  the  honor  to  report  that  Mr.  Washington 
Hawes,  the  Chief  Engineer  of  that  boat,  having  sufficiently 
recovered  from  his  injuries  to  enable  us  to  take  his  testimony 
at  his  own  house,  we  proceeded  to  Fort  Lee  and  there  obtained 
it.  His  testimony  in  the  case  completes  the  evidence.  On 
the  morning  of  the  explosion  the  "New  World"  was  visited 
by  Mr.  C.  W.  Copeland,  Supervising  Inspector,  and  by  Mr. 
Kenwick,  who  carefully  examined  the  state  of  the  steam 
gauges  and  safety  valves.  On  the  Saturday  following  the 
same  parties  in  company  with  Mr.  Weeks  and  Messrs.  W.  H. 
Ellett,  D.  G.  Wells,  and  W.  H.  Draper,  again  visited  the 
vessel.  The  boilers  of  the  said  boat  had  not  been  inspected 
as  required  by  law,  approved  Aug.  30th,  1852,  but  the  owners 
had  applied  for  such  inspection  and  the  boat  would  .have 
been  inspected  in  her  proper  order.  The  local  inspectors  would 
here  remark  that  about  ninety  vessels  have  applied  for  such 
inspection,  which  requires  for  its  careful  performance  from 
one  half  a  day  to  a  day,  and  when  defects  are  discovered  at 
least  two  days;  58  vessels  have  been  inspected  up  to  the 
present  time,  and  the  inspectors  are  proceeding  with  the 
remainder  as  speedily  as  possible.  The  engineers  and  pilots 
of  the  "New  World"  have  been  duly  examined  and  licensed." 

Then  follows  the  result  of  their  examination  of  the  boilers 
and  their  fittings  of  the  vessel,  and  the  testimony  of  the  wit- 
nesses, with  their  findings.  The  opinion  of  the  board  of  local 
inspectors  was  that  the  boiler  gave  out  from  an  excessive 
pressure  of  steam  and  that  there  was  not  wrhat  is  commonly 
known  as  an  explosion,  and  that  this  excessive  pressure  was- 


HUDSON    RIVER.  115 

due  to  the  derangement  of  the  syphon  steam  gauges  and  the 
safety  valves.  They  suspended  the  chief  engineer  "from  duty 
for  the  unexpired  term  of  his  present  license,  and  revoking 
that  license."  The  board  further  said,  "The  board  have  not 
been  able  to  discover  that  there  was  any  deliberate  intention 
of  racing  with  the  ' Francis Skiddy,'  one  witness  only  swearing 
that  the  firemen  wrere  conversing  about  racing  writh  the 
'Francis  Skiddy.' "  They  also  found  that  the  boat  was  not 
struck  with  lightning,  or  if  struck,  the  boilers  wrere  not 
injured  thereby."  John  N.  Weeks  and  Henry  B.  Renwick  were 
the  local  inspectors  of  steamboats  at  New  York  at  this  time. 

This  instance  of  carrying  an  excessive  pressure  of  steam 
was  not  an  isolated  case,  and  it  is  more  than  probable  would 
never  have  been  generally  known  or  particular  attention  called 
to  it  but  for  the  fatal  consequences  attending  it.  Nor  was 
the  chief  engineer  doing  more  than  most  of  his  brothers  of 
the  starting  bar  were  doing  every  day,  only  he  was  unfortunate 
in  meeting  with  the  accident,  and  in  taking  such  risks  they 
took  the  chances  of  the  law's  severity. 

The  agent  of  the  "Francis  Skiddy"  at  this  time  obtained 
a  little  free  advertisement  for  the  vessel:  "I  perceive  in 
most  of  the  notices  of  the  accident  on  board  the  "New  World"" 
that  the  "Francis  Skiddy"  is  named  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
make  it  appear  she  was  in  some  way  concerned  in  that 
deplorable  affair.  Why  this  should  be  I  cannot  conceive,  as 
the  "Francis  .Skiddy"  does  not  race  with  any  boat,  but  leaves 
her  wharf  in  New  York  every  morning  at  7  o'clock  and  every 
evening  at  the  same  hour  from  Albany.  This  arrangement 
does  not.  require  quick  time,  but  regularity.  It  is  wTell  known 
by  all  the  steamboat  judges  that  the  "Francis  Skiddy"  can 
make  the  time  in  less  than  seven  hours,  while  in  the  present 
arrangement  she  is  not  allowed  to  go  or  return  in  less  than 
eight  or  nine  hours,  thus  leaving  her  three  or.  four  hours  of 
spare  time  in  each  place.  The  agent  cannot  allow  anything 
like  racing  or  making  quicker  time  than  this.  When  the 
"Skiddy"  makes  a  race  the  public  shall  have  at  least  ten  days' 
notice." 

That  would  have  been  a  battle  of  the  giants  of  the  river 
but  for  the  accident.  The  "New  World,"  with  her  forty-five 
feet  water  wheels  and  fifteen  feet  stroke  of  piston,  and 


116  HUDSON   RIVER. 

the  "Francis  Skiddy,"  with  forty  feet  water  wheels  and 
fourteen  feet  stroke  of  piston,  would  ha^e  made  a  sight  worth 
witnessing  in  their  struggle  for  the  head  of  the  line.  The  chief 
engineers  of  the  respective  vessels  were  comparatively  young 
men,  who  were  fully  capable  of  caring  for  the  interests  in 
their  charge. 

The  "Empire,"  of  the  Troy  line,  was  sunk  on  the  morn- 
ing of  July  16th,  1853,  while  on  a  trip  to. New  York,  and  in  the 
vicinity  of  New  Hamburgh.  The  vessel  was  run  into  by 
the  sloop  "Gen.  Livingston,"  whose  bowsprit  penetrated  the 
port  boiler  and  broke  the  steam  connections  that  caused  the 
death  of  eight  persons  and  the  injury  of  fourteen  others.  The 
upper  works  and  hull  of  the  vessel  were  so  largely  damaged 
that  the  vessel  sank  in  a  short  time.  The  vessel  was  raised, 
brought  to  New  York  and  dismantled.  This  was  the  last 
of  a  noted  vessel  at  the  time,  but  at  times  unfortunate  Hudson 
River  steamboat. 

The  "New  World's"  place  was  filled  temporarily  after 
the  accident  by  the  "Oregon"  until  the  "Francis  Skiddy"  was 
put  on  in  August.  In  September  the  "Armenia"  took  the 
"Francis  Skiddy's"  place,  and  when  the  "George  Washington" 
was  withdrawn,  on  October  1st,  continued  the  line  alone, 
making  a  trip  from  New  York  every  other  day  until  the  30th 
of  the  month,  when  the  day  line  ceased  their  operations  for 
the  season.  The  "Armenia"  continued  to  run  under  the  same 
owners  on  the  day  route  until  1863. 

In  November,  1855,  the  "Alida"  was  purchased  by  Alfred 
Van  Santvoord,  and  during  the  season  of  1856  was  run  on 
opposite  days  to  the  "Armenia,"  and  at  the  end  of  the  season 
was  withdrawn  from  the  passenger  service.  She  was  in  the 
towboat  fleet  of  her  owner,  with  the  exception  of  one  year, 
until  sold  about  1865,  to  the  Austin  Company,  and  was  finally 
laid  up  at  Port  Ewen,  in  1875,  as  having  served  her  day  on 
the  river. 

The  season  of  1856  may  be  said  to  have  been  the  last 
year  when  there  was  any  opposition  of  moment  on  the  day 
route.  The  "Armenia"  opened  the  service  this  year  and  ran 
alone  for  two  or  three  months,  when  in  July  the  "Glen  Cove" 
entered  as  an  opposition  boat,  and  immediately  the  "Alida" 
was  brought  out  to  run  with  the  "Armenia"  on  opposite  days. 


1 1 8  HUDSON   RIVER. 

Then  began  a  period  of  excitement  on  the  river  again,  and 
through  passenger  fare  dropped  as  low  as  50c.  for  some  time; 
never  above  $1.00.  To  draw  passenger  travel  the  owner  of 
the  "Glen  Cove,"  in  August,  had  a  steam  calliope,  that  was 
a  new  musical  instrument  at  the  time,  placed  on  board  the 
vessel.  On  her  first  trip  up  the  river  with  the  calliope  numbers 
of  residents  for  two  or  three  miles  on  either  shore  of  the 
river  came  down  to  the  water  to  ascertain  where  the  floating 
music  box  came  from,  so  great  was  the  curiosity  to  learn 
the  source  of  the  loud  musical  notes  that  were  heard  so  far 
from  the  river.  It  wras  employed  as  an  advertisement  during 
a  period  of  sharp  competition,  and  it  proved  a  drawing  card 
by  its  novelty,  for  the  daily  passenger  list  was  almost  double 
what  it  was  before  its  installation.  The  "Glen  Cove"  ended 
her  season  in  October  of  that  year,  with  charity  and  good 
feeling  among  all  those  interested  in  the  day  service.  In  the 
following  March  the  vessel  was  sold  to  parties  in  Virginia, 
who  took  her  to  Richmond  in  May  for  service  on  the  James 
River.  She  was  on  the  river  when  the  War  of  the  Rebellion 
broke  out,  but  was  burned  during  one  of  the  periods  when  it 
wras  thought  the  city  of  Richmond  was  to  be  evacuated,  where 
she  wras  lying.  The  calliope  was  still  on  her  when  "leaving 
for  the  South. 

The  year  1853  was  the  commencement  of  a  new  era  in 
steaniboating  on  the  Hudson,  as  well  as  on  all  navigable 
Drivers  of  the  United  States,  for  in  the  fall  of  1852  preparations 
were  made  to  put  in  force  the  law  regarding  the  inspection 
of  steam  vessels  and  the  licensing  of  some  of  the  officers  of 
the  vessels,  passed  by  Congress  August  30th,  1852,  but  it  was 
not  until  early  in  1853  that  the  practical  work  was  com- 
menced. Previous  to  the  passage  of  this  law  the  inspection 
of  steam  vessels  was  a  howling  farce.  There  is  no  doubt 
but  that  the  enforcement  of  the  later  law  had  a  great 
tendency  to  curb  that  fierce  rivalry  that  had  existed  for  so 
many  years  on  the  rivers  of  the  United  States,  and  in  fact 
almost  from  the  very  opening  of  steam  navigation,  and  in 
consequence  of  which  in  a  number  of  cases  accidents,  so 
called,  have  taken  place,  resulting  many  times  in  the  loss  of 
life.  When  engineers  would  carry  steam  on  their  boilers 
until  at  every  opening  of  the  steam  valves  the  heads  of  the 


HUDSON   RIVER.  119 

«team  chimneys  of  the  boilers  would  rise  and  fall,  or  "pant," 
so  as  to  be  plainly  perceptible  to  the  eye;  or  would  increase 
the  pressure  of  steani  to  such  a  degree,  when  in  competition 
with  another  boat,  that  the  mercury  in  the  pressure  gauge 
Avould  be  blown  out  from  the  increased  pressure  over  what 
the  gauge  wras  intended  to  register,  and  then  plug  up  the 
mouth  of  the  tube  and  get  all  the  steam  they  were  able  by 
forced  firing,  and  not  know  what  pressure  they  were  running 
under,  for  the  safety  valve  would  be  manipulated  also,  and 
thus  jeopardize  the  life  of  every  passenger  on  the  vessel  by 
such  risk,  or  recklessness  more  properly  termed,  as  wrell  as 
their  own  lives;  it  is  not  singular  after  such  liberty  being 
used  without  any  intervention  of  law,  that  they  should  mur- 
mur; but  it  is  more  remarkable  that  there  had  been  no 
law  passed  that  would  have  been  effectual  to  prevent  such 
recklessness  before  that  of  1852  was  placed  on  the  statute 
books. 

There  are  the  older  engineers  who  tell  us  that  they  have 
carried  steam  on  the  boilers  of  the  river  boats  and  so  per- 
formed with  their  engines  while  they  were  young  men,  that 
in  the  light  of  their  later  experience  they  consider  it  now 
the  extreme  of  recklessness. 

This  applies  not  more  to  the  Hudson  River  than  to  any 
of  the  other  navigable  rivers  of  the  United  States,  but  it 
was  probably  more  noticeable  there  than  elsewhere  along 
the  Atlantic  coast  on  account  of  the  large  number  of  steam- 
boats in  service.  The  risks  of  the  captains  and  pilots  in  the 
navigation  of  their  vessels  must  also  be  considered,  for  they 
hesitated  not  in  taking  any  advantage  that  offered  itself  to 
make  a  point  on  a  rival,  even  to  crowding  a  rival  vessel  on 
a  flat  or  shoal  in  the  river  when  it  was  possible  to  do  so. 
Tt  is  not  to  be  inferred  from  this  that  the  officers  of  steam 
vessels  prior  to  1853  were  inhuman  and  seeking  while  in 
prosecution  of  their  calling  the  lives  of  the  passengers  who 
were  intrusted  to  their  care.  They  had  become  so  familiar, 
speaking  generally,  with  taking  risks  beyond  the  limit  of 
safety  that  they  thought  lightly  of  it.  It  was  a  part  of  their 
early  education  in  their  business  and  looked  upon  as  a  right 
to  exercise  at  their  discretion. 

An  engineer  thus  relates  an  incident  in  his  experience 


120  HUDSON   RIVER. 

previous  to  1850.  He  was  at  one  time  engineer  on  a  pas- 
senger boat  named  the  "Proprietor,"  which  run  for  a  time 
in  New  York  harbor  and  subsequently  on  the  Delaware  River. 
While  running  on  the  latter  river,  they  had  been  on  a  trip 
down  the  river  with  an  excursion  and  were  returning  home 
when  they  met  a  steamboat  of  about  the  same  size  and 
known  to  be  about  the  same  speed  as  their  own.  When  the 
two  vessels  came  near  to  each  other,  the  captain  of  the 
"Proprietor"  asked  the  engineer  if  he  thought  he  was  able 
to  pass  the  other  boat.  The  engineer  thought  he  was.  So 
they  prepared  for  the  contest  by  tying  down  the  safety  valve 
lever  and  drawing  the  pointer  from  the  mercury  gauge  and 
plugging  up  the  mouth  of  the  tube,  and  urging  the  fire  on 
the  two  small  boilers.  By  degrees  the  "Proprietor"  passed 
her  rival  by  carrying  high  steam,  but  at  what  pressure  it  was 
not  known,  although  its  effects  were  seen  on  the  boilers  after- 
wards, for  in  the  furnaces  there  were  bulges  in  the  plates 
between  the  braces  as  large  as  tea  plates,  showing  that  there 
had  been  an  excessive  pressure  of  steam.  He  had  very  often 
carried  as  high  as  50  or  60  pounds  of  steam,  but  a  number  of 
severe  explosions  shortly  after  this  race  had  the  effect  to 
tame  his  desire  for  high  steam  (at  that  time),  and  he  never 
carried  afterwards  more  than  30  pounds. 

In  1854  the  People's  Line  Association  was  incorporated 
under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey  as  the  New  Jersey 
Steamboat  Company,  with  a  capital  stock  of  f 500,000,  that 
was  subsequently  increased  to  $2,000,000.  Isaac  NewTton  was 
the  first  president  of  the  company  and  Daniel  Drew  was 
treasurer.  The  latter  succeeded  to  the  office  of  president 
upon  the  death  of  Isaac  Newton  in  1859,  which  office  he 
held  until  1878.  Under  the  new  organization  the  boats 
discontinued  making  any  landings  along  the  river,  as  some 
of  the  lines  under  their  control  had  frequently  done,  and  from 
that  date  have  run  only  through  lines  without  any  inter- 
mediate landings.  Another  factor  that  was  beginning  to 
have  a  very  marked  effect  was  the  increasing  travel  by  the 
Hudson  River  Railroad.  The  completion  of  this  railroad  and 
the  steamboat  law  of  1852  were  the  agents  that  made  the 
radical  change  in  steamboating  on  the  river  at  this  period. 
At  this  time,  in  1855,  the  "New  World"  had  been  widened  in 


122  HUDSON   RIVER. 

the  hull  from  36  feet  to  47  feet  at  extreme  width,  and  state- 
rooms added  for  a  night  boat  exclusively.  At  the  same  time 
as  this  was  done  the  "Knickerbocker/'  then  running  on  Long 
Island  Sound,  was  widened  3  feet  in  the  widest  part  forward 
of  the  water  wheels,  that  were  left  in  a  recess  made  by  the 
increased  width.  A  number  of  the  older  and  smaller  boats 
of  the  People's  line  had  been  sold  prior  to  the  reorganization, 
which  left  the  "Isaac  Newton,"  the  "New  World,"  and  the 
"Hendrick  Hudson."  The  boats  continued  in  the  service  of 
the  company  until  after  1863  as  night  boats,  when  new  vessels- 
were  'built  for  the  line. 

The  "New  World"  was  unfortunate  again  in  1859.  On 
October  26th  of  that  year,  while  on  her  trip  to  Albany  and 
when  about  opposite  to  Fort  Washington,  her  engine  came 
down  in  a  mass,  resulting  in  the  sinking  of  the  vessel.  The 
pilot  rang  the  bell  for  the  engineer  on  watch  to  stop  the 
engine,  as  there  was  a  schooner  crossing  his  course,  and  the 
engineer  being  at  the  time  in  one  of  the  firerooms  across- 
the  gangway  from  the  engine  room,  immediately  responded 
to  the  call  of  the  bells  and  "unhooked"  the  engine,  which 
action  was  followed  by  the  breaking  off  of  the  gallows  frame 
about  five  feet  from  the  top;  that  caused  the  falling  of  the 
working  beam  and  the  snapping  off  of  the  connecting  rod 
about  two  feet  from  the  upper  end,  that  fell  of  its  own  weight, 
being  aided  by  the  revolution  of  the  crank,  through  the 
saloon  deck  and  main  deck  to  the  bottom  of  the  vessel,  and 
cutting  a  hole  that  in  a  period  of  half  an  hour  filled  the 
vessel  with  water  to  a  depth  of  five  feet.  The  working  beam 
did  not  fall  further  than  the  hurricane  deck.  The  passengers 
were  taken  off  by  a  sloop  and  the  steamboat  "Ohio,"  botk 
of  which  were  in  the  immediate  vicinity  at  the  time.  It  was 
afterwards  found  that  the  gallows  frame  was  quite  rotten, 
and  the  wonder  was  it  did  not  give  way  long  before.  The 
shock  produced  by  the  falling  of  the  connecting  rod  and 
the  working  beam  was  so  great,  that  many  of  the  passengers 
at  the  moment  thought  that  the  vessel  had  struck  a  rock  in 
the  river.  The  vessel  was  subsequently  raised  and  repaired* 
The  hull  was  used  as  a  hospital  ship  on  the  James  River  after 
the  engine  was  removed  in  1864.  In  1862  a  Sickels  steam- 
steering  apparatus  was  fitted  in  the  pilot  house  of  this  vessel, 


HUDSON   RIVER.  33 

consisting  of  two  cylinders  9"xlO",  and  connected  to  the 
drum  of  the  steering  wheel.  It  performed  its  duty  satisfac- 
torily, but  the  heat  from  the  steam  cylinders  being  in  the 
pilot  house  was  objectionable.  This  engine  was  the  next 
year  placed  on  thie  U.  S.  steam  frigate  "Roamoke,"  that  had 
just  been  razeed. 

In  1855  a  new  Troy  night  line  was  established  by  the  New 
Jersey  Steam  Navigation  Company,  that  was  the  corporate 
name  for  the  Stonington  line  on  Long  Island  Sound,  which 
company  was  largely  controlled  by  the  New  Jersey  Steamboat 
Company,  or  the  People's  line,  Daniel  Drew  being  at  the  time 
the  moving  spirit  of  both  organizations.  In  March,  1856,  they 
placed  the  "C.  Vanderbilt,"  belonging  to  the  New  Jersey  Steam 
Navigation  Company,  and  the  "Francis  Skiddy,"  on  the  route. 
The  company  owned  the  former  vessel  entire,  and  through 
Daniel  Drew  they  acquired  16/20  of  the  latter.  After  the 
opening  of  the  line  the  "Francis  Skiddy"  was  more  com- 
pletely altered  for  a  night  boat  by  additional  staterooms, 
and  later  by  the  building  of  an  additional  hull  on  the  outside 
of  the  original  hull,  framed  the  same  as  they  would  build 
a  steamboat,  and  fastened  to  the  bottom  of  the  old  vessel, 
the  greatest  width  between  the  two  hulls  being  six  feet  amid- 
ships. The  contract  for  this  change  was  fi2,000.  The 
vessel  originally  when  loaded  with  freight  was  found  to  draw 
too  much  water  to  go  to  Troy,  and  it  was  necessary  to  make 
some  change  in  the  vessel  to  fit  her  for  use  on  a  night  line 
to  Troy.  This  change  decreased  her  draft  of  water  about 
two  feet.  These  two  steamboats  ran  on  the  Troy  line  until 
November  25th,  1864.  This  line  was  sold  to  the  New  Jersey 
Steamboat  Company  in  September,  1864,  the  vessels  to  be  de- 
livered at  the  close  of  navigation,  but  the  "Skiddy"  was  sunk 
on  her  last  trip  prior  to  her  proposed  delivery.  The  vessel 
was  on  her  way  to  New  York,  on  November  25th,  1864,  and 
when  about  four  miles  below  Albany,  near  Staat's  landing, 
she  ran  foul  of  a  rock,  those  in  interest  stated,  tearing  a  hole 
16  feet  long  and  three  planks  wide,  began  to  fill  at  once  in 
the  outer  hull  and  careen  from  the  weight  of  water  on  one 
side,  but  was  beached  in  such  short  order  that  there  was  little 
damage  from  that  quarter.  The  vessel  was  stripped  of  much 
of  her  fittings;  the  main  engine  and  auxiliaries  were  used 


124  HUDSON   RIVER. 

in  the  building  of  the  "Dean  Richmond"  for  the  People's  line. 
The  object  of  the  sale  was  evidently  for  the  purpose  of  their 
withdrawal  from  the  route,  for  the  largest  stockholders  in 
the  People's  line  were  also  largely  interested  in  the  Troy 
line.  The  Rennsalear  and  Saratoga  R.  R.  Company  now 
run  their  trains  to  Albany,  and  the  People's  line  desired  to 
have  the  control  of  the  travel  in  that  direction.  The  price 
paid  for  these  boats  by  the  People's  line  was  $200,000 — in 
stock  of  the  company,  divided  pro  rata  with  the  stockholders 
of  the  New  Jersey  Steam  Navigation  Company.  This  was 
for  the  "C.  Vanderbilt"  and  8/10  of  the  "Francis  Skiddy." 
The  other  2/10  interest  in  the  latter  vessel,  held  by  John  E. 
Andrew  and  George  W.  Coster,  both  of  New  York,  refused 
to  accept  such  disposition  of  their  interest,  and  brought  suit 
against  the  People's  line  for  damages  for  the  sum  of  sixty 
thousand  dollars,  and  after  dragging  along  in  the  courts  from 
November,  1865,  to  March,  1879,  they  were  rewarded  with  a 
verdict  against  the  People's  line  of  full  amount  claimed  with 
interest.  It  was  in  this  suit  that  the  close  connection  exist- 
ing between  the  two  prominent  steamboat  companies  was 
brought  to  light.  The  New  Jersey  Steam  Navigation  Com- 
pany was  incorporated  in  1839  by  a  special  act  of  the  New 
Jersey  legislature,  and  they  bought  out  the  old  Stonington 
line,  or  Boston  and  New  York  Transportation  Company, 
Daniel  Drew  and  Commodore  Vanderbilt  being  largely  in- 
terested. They  built  the  "C.  Vanderbilt,"  "Commodore," 
"Plymouth  Rock,"  and  afterwards  added  the  "Common- 
wealth."' This  company  closed  out  their  interests  in  the 
"Plymouth  Rock,"  the  "Commonwealth"  and  the  "Commodore" 
about  1865, 

The  "Isaac  Newton"  was  lost  by  fire  on  December  5th, 
1863,  while  on  a  trip  to  Albany  and  while  opposite  to  Fort 
Washington,  caused  by  the  back  part  of  the  arch  of  her  star- 
board boiler  blowing  down  and  setting  the  boat  on  fire.  It 
was  found  on  a  further  examination  of  the  boiler  that  the 
trouble  was  caused  by  the  shearing  of  the  pins  which  held 
the  braces  in  position.  There  were  seventeen  persons  badly 
scalded,  nine  of  them  dying  of  their  injuries.  The  passengers 
were  taken  oif  by  the  propeller  "D.  S.  Miller"  and  the  tugboat 
"Herald." 


126  HUDSON   RIVER. 

The  "New  World"  was  dismantled  in  1864,  her  engine 
refitted  in  the  "St.  John,"  and  the  hull  used  for  a  short  period 
for  a  hospital  ship  at  Fortress  Monroe.  *The  "Hendrik  Hud- 
son" was  sold  about  1865  for  twelve  thousand  dollars  to  a 
New  York  party,  who  broke  her  up. 

In  1864  the  People's  line  had  built  for  them  the  "St. 
John,"  the  longest  steamboat  at  that  time,  if  not  since,  in 
American  waters.  Her  engine,  or  a  good  part  of  it,  was 
formerly  in  the  "New  World,"  but  some  of  it  required  renewal 
for  the  new  hull,  so  it  was  in  effect  a  new  engine.  In  1865 
the  "Dean  Richmond"  was  constructed  for  them;  the  engine 
for  this  vessel  coming  from  the  remains  of  the  "Francis 
Skiddy,"  and  also  had  many  parts  renewed  for  the  new  hull. 
In  1867  the  third  new  vessel  was  constructed,  the  "Drew,"  all 
three  of  these  boats  being  of  one  general  style.  The  engine  for 
the  "Drew"  was  new  when  the  vessel  was  built.  The  "St. 
John"  and  the  "Dean  Richmond"  both  met  with  serious 
disasters,  but  only  in  the  case  of  the  former  were  there  any 
lives  lost  or  injury  to  passengers.  On  the  morning  of  the 
29th  of  October,  1865,  the  "St.  John,"  when  about  five  miles 
above  the  city  of  New  York,  while  on  her  trip  from  Albany, 
her  port  boiler  exploded.  By  this  accident  fifteen  lives  were 
lost,  the  majority  of  whom  were  passengers.  There  was  no 
evidence  that  there  was  a  deficiency  of  water  or  an  over- 
pressure of  steam  at  the  time  of  the  explosion,  but  it  was 
supposed  to  have  resulted  from  the  continued  pulsation  from 
the  immense  height  of  her  steam  chimneys.  These  boilers 
were  subsequently  strengthened  by  additional  bracing.  On 
June  14th,  1877,  an  accident  of  quite  a  serious  nature  occurred 
to  the  engine  of  the  "Dean  Richmond"  while  on  a  trip  to 
Albany.  The  accident  was  caused  by  the  breaking  of  the 
connecting  rod.  There  were  no  lives  lost  or  persons  injured. 
The  damage  to  the  engine  and  joiner  work  was  about  twenty- 
five  thousand  dollars.  The  "St.  John"  was  burned  so  badly 
on  January  23d,  1885,  while  lying  in  winter  quarters  at  her 
dock  in  New  York,  under  the  annual  repairs,  that  it  was 
considered  undesirable  to  rebuild  her. 

After  the  season  of  1856  the  day-line  business  of  the 
river  was  cared  for  by  the  "Armenia,"  with  the  "Broadway" 
and  the  "Metamora"  until  1860.  This  period  appears  to 


128  HUDSOX    RIVER. 

have  been  one  of  low  ebb  for  the  day-line  travel,  caused 
partly  by  the  increased  railroad  facilities  along  the  river.  At 
this  time  there  was  not  one  of  the  fast  steamboats  of  . five- 
years  before  now  on  the  list  of  claimants  for  the  honors  of 
high  speed,  and  what  wras  more,  none  had  been  built  since 
1852  for  either  the  night  service  nor  the  day  service.  There 
was  the  "Francis  Skiddy"  on  the  night  line  to  Troy;  the 
"New  World,"  on  the  night  line  to  Albany;  the  "South 
America,"  Hudson  night  line;  the  "Alida,"  laid  by  though 
not  permanently. 

With  the  opening  of  business  for  1860  more  activity  on 
the  day  route  was  promised  when  the  "Daniel  Drew"  com- 
menced running  on  June  5th,  followed  a  little  later  by  the 
"Armenia."  During  this  year  the  "Alida"  was  run  to  Pough- 
keepsie  by  Alfred  Van  Santvoord  for  excursion,  as  well  as 
through-passenger  travel,  to  connect  by  railroad  with  pas- 
senger fare  of  50  cents.  This  was  his  first  entry  in  the 
passenger  business  on  the  river.  In  1861  and  1862  the  "Daniel 
Drew"  and  "Armenia"  covered  the  day  route  as  the  year 
before.  During  the  winter  of  1862  and  1863  Commodore  Van 
Santvoord  and  Captain  David  Hitchcock  had  built  at  Albany 
the  "City  of  Albany,"  and  on  May  6th  was  placed  on  the 
day-line  route,  where  she  remained  for  a  period  of  four  wreeks, 
or  until  the  "Daniel  Drew"  came  out.  She  proved  to  be  a 
very  unsuitable  boat  for  the  route.  This  was  the  beginning 
of  the  present  Hudson  River  Day  Line.  The  "Daniel  Drew" 
and  the  "Armenia"  finished  the  work  on  the  route  during 
the  balance  of  the  year.  Now  came  a  period  of  many  changes 
in  the  day  boats  on  the  river.  Van  Santvoord  and  others 
bought  the  "Daniel  DrewT"  from  James  F.  Collyer  and  others 
on  September  25th,  1863,  the  "Armenia"  from  Isaac  P.  Smith 
on  October  7th,  1863,  and  just  about  this  time  made  a  contract 
for  a  new  boat  for  the  next  season.  So  the  fall  of  1863  saw 
the  business  of  the  day  line  in  the  possession  of  Van  Sant- 
voord and  others,  where  it  has  remained  ever  since.  The 
high  class  of  the  vessels,  their  elegant  fittings,  and  the 
superior  service  have  prevented  any  opposition  line  from 
offering  themselves  up  as  a  sacrifice  for  the  benefit  of  the 
dear  public. 

The  "Daniel  Drew"  was  built  in  1860  bv  Thomas  Collver 


HUDSON   RIVER. 

for  the  day  line,  he  being  a  part  owner  in  the  vessel  with 
Daniel  Drew,  but  "Our  Uncle  Daniel"  sold  out  his  interest 
in  January,  1861.  Her  engine  was  one  that  had  been  in  the 
Sandy  Hook  tug  "Titan"  that  was  wrecked  on  the  New  Jersey 
coast  in  1856,  but  her  power  was  subsequently  increased  by 
a  larger  cylinder,  and  at  the  same  time  making  heavier  con- 
nections for  the  engine.  She  was  at  first  a  very  crank 
boat,  a  Collyer  model  out  and.  out,  but  the  second  year  the 
hull  was  increased  five  feet  in  breadth,  which  enabled  her  to 
stand  up  with  a  heavy  load  of  passengers  on  an  even  keel 


DANIEL   DREW." DAY   BOAT.      1861. 


better  than  before.  Originally  she  had  very  short  hog  frames, 
that  were  of  the  height  to  the  ceiling  of  the  upper  deck,  and 
were  shown  externally  only  from  aft  of  the  water  wheels  to 
immediately  aft  of  the  after  gangway.  When  the  Prince 
of  Wales  was  in  the  United  States  in  1860,  the  "Daniel  Drew" 
was  chartered  by  the  royal  party  to  convey  them  from  West 
Point,  where  they  were  visiting,  to  Albany,  on  October  16th. 
The  vessel  left  West  Point  at  11  A.  M.  and  arrived  at 
Albany  at  4.30  P.  M.  She  is  credited  with  having  made,  a 
few  trips  showing  very  high  speed,  and  is  considered  to  have 
made  the  best  time  between  New  York  and  Albany. 

During  the  first  season  for  the  "Daniel  Drew,"  in  1860, 
there  appears  to  have  been  considerable  friction  between  the 
"Alida,"  running  to  Poughkeepsie,  and  the  "Daniel  Drew," 
which  culminated  in  a  challenge  from  her  agent  to  "any 
steamboat  now  built"  for  a  race  to  Albany.  There  was  at 
the  time  on  the  river  but  the  "Alida"  left  of  the  former  fleet 
of  high-speed  day  boats,  and  it  was  her  scalp  they  were  after, 
but  the  challenge  was  declined  with  thanks.  This  was  prob- 
ably the  last  card  of  its  kind.  A  few  days  before  the  "Daniel 
Drew"  had  made  her  famous  fast  trip,  and  it  excited  con- 
siderable comment  on  the  river  at  the  time.  The  trial  trip 


130  HtJJDSOKT  RIVER, 

was  postponed  indefinitely,  and  the  owner  of  the  "Alida"  acted 
wisely  and  saved  her  reputation. 

The  challenge  was  in  these  words:  "The  steamboat 
'Daniel  Drew/  having  discontinued  her  trips  on  the  day  route 
for  the  season,  will  for  the  purpose  of  gratifying  the  curiosity 
of  certain  individuals  hold  herself  in  readiness  until  the  27th 
of  the  present  month  to  make  a  trial  trip  from  New  York 
to  Albany  with  any  steamboat  now  built,  for  one  thousand 
dollars  or  upwards,  on  one  week's  notice  from  this  date,  the 
boats  to  start  from-  foot  of  Thirtieth  street,  North  River,  at  8 
a.  m.,  to  run  with  their  usual  tackle  as  used  in  their  ordinary 
business. 

"Any  person  or  persons  having  a  steamer  that  they  think 
can  beat  her  have  an  opportunity  to  make  a  profitable  trip 
by  calling  on  the  subscriber  at  283  Broadway,  Albany. 

"(Signed)        J.  H.  Harcourt. 

"October  17,  1860." 

The  "Alida"  was  a  few  years  later  sold  to  one  of  the  large 
towing  lines  on  the  river,  in  which  service  she  remained  until 
1876,  when  retired  from  active  'service. 

The  "City  of  Albany"  was  sold  to  the  War  Department 
on  May  3d,  1863,  for  f 82,000,  but  she  appears  to  have  run  on 
the  day  route  for  a  few  weeks  before  being  turned  over  to 
the  department.  This  vessel  caught  fire  and  was  badly 
burned  while  lying  at  Baltimore,  Md.,  in  1863,  involving  a 
loss  of  |50,000.  She  was  rebuilt  and  did  good  service  as  a 
transport  during  the  Civil  War,  and  was  sold  by  the  Quarter- 
master's bureau  on  December  20th,  1866,  to  J.  &  R  J.  Gray, 
two  captains,  for  $16,000.  During  the  next  year  she  passed 
into  the  possession  of  D.  D.  and  Tunis  Smith,  of  Nyack,  N.  Y., 
and  was  known  as  the  "Adelphi."  She  seems  to  have  been 
an  unfortunate  vessel. 

The  "Armenia"  ran  with  the  "Daniel  Drew"  until  the 
"Chauncey  Vibbard"  was  built,  when  the  "Armenia"  was 
laid  up  as  a  spare  boat  and  for  occasional  excursions  until 
1883,  when  sold  for  service  on  the  Potomac  River.  The 
vessel  was  totally  destroyed  by  fire  while  lying  up  at  Alex- 
andria, Va.,  on  January  5th,  1886. 

The  "Chauncey  Vibbard"  was  built  in  1864  by  Lawrence 
&  Foulks  for  A.  Van  Santvoord  and  others  for  the  day  line, 


132  HUDSON   RIVER. 

and  run  from  June  20th  of  that  year  for  two  seasons,  when 
lengthened  sixteen  feet.  The  first  cylinder  for  her  engine 
was  55  inches  diameter,  but  when  her  hull  was  lengthened 
the  old  cylinder  was  removed,  and  one  of  62  inches  diameter 
substituted.  It  was  the  intention  with  the  'small  cylinder 
to  carry  high  steam,  her  boilers  being  tested  for  55  pounds 
maximum  working  pressure.  After  being  lengthened  and 
with  the  larger  cylinder,  and  working  under  a  lower  steam 
pressure,  she  made  very  good  time,  but  some  w7ho  ought  to 
know  the  vessel  very  fully  consider  the  changes  to  have 
been  a  great  detriment  to  the  vessel's  speed.  There  was 
one  thing  about  her  that  was  very  pronounced,  and  that  was 
she  was  the  hardest  of  any  of  the  fast  day  boats  to  drive 
against  a  head  wind,  and  the  only  reason  that  has  been  given 
was  the  width  of  the  square  front'  of  her  joiner's  work.  She 
had  long,  high  hog  frames,  like  all  the  large  boats.  This 
boat  was  much  admired  both  for  appearance  generally  as 
well  as  the  ease  with  which  she  seemed  to  move  through 
the  water.  Before  being  lengthened  she  made  some  fast 
trips,  and  is  thought  by  some  to  bb  one  which  on  an  average 
of  her  time  would  compare  favorably  with  those  of  a  much 
wider  reputation  up  to  that  date.  In  1880  the  two  boilers 
that  were  located  on  the  guards  of  the  vessel  were  removed, 
and  three  new  ones  built  by  Fletcher,  Harrison  &  Co.  were 
placed  in  the  hold  of  the  vessel,  with  three  smoke  chimneys 
placed  athwarthships,  altering  the  external  appearance  of  the 
vessel  very  much.  She  was  subsequently  sold  and  taken  to 
the  Delaware  River. 

After  the  loss  of  the  "Francis  Skiddy,"  in  1864,  there 
were  no  boats  running  regularly  to  Troy,  the  People's  line 
thinking  they  could  care  for  the  Troy  travel  with  their 
Albany  line,  except  in  1865  they  ran  the  "Vanderbilt"  and 
"Rip  Van  Winkle."  About  this  time  the  People's  line  ran 
their  boats  to  Athens,  where  they  had  docks  built  and  build- 
ings erected,  for  a  few  years.  Passengers  were  here  trans- 
ferred by  railroad  over  a  short  line,  built  by  the  New  York 
Central  R.  R.  Co.,  to  Albany.  In  1867  the  "Connecticut"  and 
the  "C.  Vanderbilt,"  the  latter  having  been  disposed  of  by 
Daniel  Drew,  were  placed  on  the  Troy  line  by  Captain  J.  W." 
Hancox,  where  they  remained  as  passenger  and  freight  boats 


HUDSON   RIVER.  133 

until  July,  1872,  and  subsequently  were  sold  and  converted 
into  tow-boats  for  the  river,  at  which  service  they  were 
employed  until  about  1885.  The  line  was  not  a  paying  invest- 
ment, being  run  as  an  opposition  to  the  People's  line  at  cut 
rates  of  fare  most  of  the  time  it  was  running.  It  is  con- 
sidered to  have  been  backed  by  Commodore  Vanderbilt  to  com- 
pel the  People's  line  to  abandon  their  landing  at  Athens  and 
return  to  Albany,  as  it  must  be  remembered  Vanderbilt  was 
the  power  in  the  railroad  at  this  time.  Both  of  these  vessels 
had  the  vertical  beam  engine,  and  were  both  the  subjects 
of  accidents  to  their  engines  of  a  similar  character  within 
a  short  period.  The  "C.  Vanderbilt,"  on  June  5th,  1879, 
when  abreast  of  Nyack,  broke  the  strap  of  her  working  beam, 
which  resulted  in  the  destruction  of  her  steam  cylinder  and 
piston.  The  "Connecticut,"  on  June  12th,  1879,  or  just  one 
week  later,  while  on  her  way  to  New  York,  and  opposite 
to  Livingston  Creek,  broke  the  strap  of  her  working  beam 
also,  wrecking  the  major  portion  of  the  engine. 

The  last  opposition  lines  on  the  river  of  any  moment 
at  all,  and  these  were  up  to  the  old  standard,  was  that  of 
Captain  J.  W.  Hancox,  who  always  made  it  lively  when 
he  had  any  competition,  with  the  "J.  B.  Schuyler"  and  the 
"Twilight,"  in  1875,  for  the  most  of  the  season  of  that  year 
to  Albany. 

In  1878  also  the  "Walter  Brett"  and  the  "New  Champion," 
that  had  been  running  to  Catskill  as  an  opposition  for  a 
portion  of  the  year.  The  "J.  B.  Schuyler"  was  destroyed 
by  fire  at  New  York,  September  22d,  1897. 

In  1871  the  Citizens'  Steamboat  Company  was  organized, 
and  early  in  1872  placed  the  "Thomas  Powell"  and  the 
"Sunnyside"  on  the  Troy  line.  The  "Sunnyside"  ran  until 
December  1st,  1875,  when,  on  a  trip  to  New  York  and  opposite 
to  West  Park,  the  vessel  was  cut  through  by  the  ice  and 
sunk,  whereby  eleven  lives  were  lost.  It  was  found  upon 
an  investigation,  that  the  captain  of  the  vessel  had  "turned 
in,"  and  that  proper  discipline  and  organization  was  lacking 
on  the  vessel.  The  "Powell"  continued  to  run  on  the  line 
until  the  "City  of  Troy"  was  built  in  1876.  The  engine  for 
this  boat  was  one  that  had  been  in  the  "Fire  Cracker,"  which 
was  built  at  New  York  for  China  waters,  and  the  vessel  while 


134  HUDSON   RIVER. 

there  having  been  either  wrecked  or  burned,  the  engine  was 
sent  to  New  York  and  subsequently  rebuilt  for  the  "City 
of  Troy"  by  the  Quintard  Iron  Works  of  New  York.  In  the 
next  year  another  vessel  was  built  for  the  same  company  and 
named  "Saratoga,"  as  a  mate  to  the  "City  of  Troy."  The 
engine  for  this  vessel  was  formerly  in  the  "Sunnyside."  These 
two  vessels  are  still  in  service,  but  have  been  rebuilt  within 
a  few  years  and  materially  improved.  On  the  16th  of  April, 
1872,  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle,"  while  on  her  way  from  Troy  to 
New  York,  struck  one  of  the  main  abutments  of  the  lower 
Hudson  River  Railroad  bridge,  at  Albany,  carrying  away 
her  starboard  wheel  and  shaft,  and  also  seriously  damaging 
her  hull  and  engine.  She  was  later  condemned  and  retired 
from  active  service.  Her  engine  and  boilers  were  taken  out 
and  hull  broken  up.  No  lives  lost  by  this  accident. 

In  1896,  the  People's  line  having  retired  the  "Drew"  as 
a  spare  boat  upon  the  building  of  the  "Adirondack"  in  that 
year,  have  run  the  "Dean  Richmond"  with  the  latter  ever 
since.  The  "Adirondack"  was  built  with  the  intention  of 
having  a  vessel  of  vatet  improvement  over  the  other  vessels 
of  the  line  built  over  thirty  years  before.  The  vessel  is 
much  more  elaborate  in  all  her  internal  appointments  than 
any  night  boat  that  has  been  on  the  river,  with  more  power 
and  of  higher  speed  than  the  former  vessels  of  the  line.  A 
steel-hull  boat,  as  mate  to  the  "Adirondack,"  was  commenced 
during  the  fall  of  1902,  and  has  been  launched  as  the  "C.  W. 
Morse."  The  "Drew"  was  broken  up  in  July,  1901,  at  Amboy, 
N.  J. 

The  present  day  line  was  incorporated  June  17th,  1879, 
as  the  Hudson  River  line,  and  on.  August  17th,  1899,  the 
name  was  changed  to  Hudson  River  Day  line. 

The  "Albany,"  of  the  present  day  line,  was  built  in  1880, 
the  hull  by  the  Harlan  &  Hollingsworth  Company,  of  Wil- 
mington, Del.,  and  the  machinery  by  W.  &  A.  Fletcher  Co.,  of 
Hoboken,  N.  J.  The  hull  is  of  iron,  being  the  first  that  was 
constructed  of  metal  for  use  on  the  Hudson  River  since 
the  "Iron  Witch,"  later  "Erie,"  of  1846.  The  model  for  this 
vessel  was  furnished  by  Lawrence  &  Foulks,  of  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.,  the  builders  of  the  "C.  Vibbard,"  but  it  is  a  radical 
departure  from  the  form  of  the  latter  vessel.  WThen  moving 


136  HUDSON   RIVER. 

through  the  water  at  her  regular  speed  she  makes  but  little 
swell  or  commotion  of  the  water,  and  with  a  heavy  load  of 
passengers  shows  great  stability. 

The  joiner  work  is  of  hard  wood,  and  the  furniture  and 
fittings  of  a  style  that  is  inviting  to  the  day  travel  on  the 
river.  Her  boilers,  of  which  there  are  three,  are  in  the  hold. 
There  are  also  three  smoke  chimneys  set  athwartship,  as 
was  in  the  case  of  the  "C.  Vibbard."  These  boats  present  an 
external  appearance  unlike  any  other  steamboats  that  have 
been  on  the  river,  for  while  there  have  been  four-pipe  boats, 
such  as  the  "Erie"  and  the  "Ohamplain,"  of  1836,  and  the 
"Francis  Skiddy,"  there  have  been  none  of  three  pipes  and 
set  athwartships.  The  four-pipe  boats  had  two  boilers  on 
each  guard.  Since  the  "Albany's"  advent  on  the  river  she 
has  made  no  fast  trips,  as  the  day-line  boat's  have,  since  about 
1880,  been  run  on  schedule  time  that  does  not  permit  of  their 
being  pushed  to  make  a  record  in  their  regular  service. 

The  "Albany"  has  made  a  few  fast  runs  for  short  dis- 
tance that  shows  what  she  might  do  if  pushed.  The  vessel 
has  large  power  of  her  engine,  and,  when  new,  was  allowed  to 
carry  by  the  steamboat  inspectors  a  steam  pressure  of  50 
pounds  to  the  square  inch  on  her  boilers,  although  her  average 
working  pressure  does  not  exceed  35  pounds.  In  the  latter 
part  of  the  summer  of  1881  the  "Albany"  made  the  run  from 
Tarrytown  to  Twenty-second  street  dock  at  New  York  under 
the  following  circumstances:  She  had  been  working  under 
but  two  of  her  three  boilers  all  the  way  down  from  Albany  to 
Newburgh,  and  on  arriving  there  it  was  found  necessary,  on 
account  of  being  so  far  behind  the  schedule  time,  to  use  the 
third  boiler,  for  which  preparations  had  been  made,  so  as  to 
make  up  for  the  lost  time.  On  leaving  the  Tarrytown  ferry- 
boat, which  met  her  in  the  river,  she  was  "let  out,"  and  when 
passing  the  Tarrytown  dock  it  was  28  minutes  after  4  o'clock. 
The  tide  then  was  high  water  slack.  The  vessel  was  driven  the 
greater  portion  of  the  distance  under  a  steam  pressure  of  45 
pounds  against  a  moderately  strong  head  wind,  and  arrived  at 
Twenty-second  street  dock  at  5.30  P.  M.,  which  is  her  schedule 
time,  having  left  Tarrytown  over  20  minutes  late.  The  dis- 
tance by  Coast  Survey  Chart  is  24^  miles.  She  traveled  con- 
siderable of  this  distance,  no  doubt,  without  any  influence  be- 


138  HUDSON   RIVER. 

ing  received  from  the  tide  upon  her  speed,  but  probably  before 
half  the  distance  had  been  completed  the  vessel  felt  the  effect 
of  the  ebb  tide,  which  was  an  element  in  her  favor.  The  time 
made  on  this  trip  was  taken  by  three  disinterested  persons, 
who  stood  in  the  after  gangway  and  took  the  time  when  the 
position  they  occupied  was  opposite  the  points  from  which 
they  took  the  time.  If  this  can  be  taken  as  a  fair  test  of  our 
fast  river  boats,  and  there  seems  no  reason  why  it  should  be 
rejected,  it  is  fair  to  assume  that  all  articles  written  and  talk 
made  of  24  miles  an  hour  ihro-uyh  the  water,  without  the  aid 
of  tide  or  wind,  is  all  nonsense;  this  applies  only  to  passenger 
steamboats,  not  racing  machines  or  torpedo-boat  destroyers. 
The  average  rate  of  speed  on  this  run  was  23.47  miles  per 
hour,  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  during  but  a  portion  of 
the  time  did  she  have  any  tide  to  benefit  her  speed.  It  is  alto- 
gether probable  that  since  being  lengthened  and  having 
feathering  paddle  wheels  fitted,  the  vessel  will  do  equally  as 
well,  though  there  is  added  weight. 

Of  her  performance  against  tJie  tide  on  her  regular  business, 
the  following  will  show  the  vessel  to  advantage.  On 
August  28th,  1883,*  her  running  time  from  Twenty-second 
street  to  the  time  of  arrival  at  Hudson  was  6  hours  and 
47  minutes;  distance,  114%  miles.  Deduct  seven  landings, 
averaging  four  minutes  each,  makes  the  actual  running  time 
6  hours  19  minutes,  or  18.06  miles  per  hour.  .  This  was  done 
with  a  strong  ebb  tide  against  her  during  most  of  the  trip, 
and  running  under  an  average  pressure  of  steam  of  35 
pounds.  She  arrived  at  Albany  four  minutes  behind  time, 
the  water  in  the  river  above  Hudson  being  very  low  at  the 
time  caused  her  detention. 

In  1886,  the  day  line  had  the  Harlan  &  Hollingsworth 
Company  build  them  a  second  iron  hull  that  was  15  feet 
longer  than  the  "Albany,"  and,  when  completed,  was  named 
"New  York."  The  beam  engine  fitted  in  the  vessel  was  built 
by  W.  &  A.  Fletcher  Company,  but  in  this  case,  instead 
of  placing  the  shaft  forward  of  the  cylinder,  as  in  the 
"Albany,"  placed  the  cylinder  forward  of  the  shaft,  as  in 
most  beam  engines.  Feathering  buckets  were  fitted  to  the 

*  This  is  from  data  taken  on  the  trip  by  the  author. 


140  HUDSON    RIVER. 

paddle  wheels.  There  has  been  no  attempt  made  to  ascertain 
the  maximum  speed  of  this  vessel  for  any  distance,  so  far  as 
known,  and  the  only  knowledge  obtained  on  the  subject  was 
from  a  few  occasions  when,  being  detained  and  running  be- 
hind her  scheduled  time,  she  had  been  driven  faster  than 
usual  to  find  her  schedule,  and  then  she  'Showed  such  high 
speed  that  interested  ones  claim  it  as  high  as  the  "Albany's" 
time.  Her  late  run  to  Poughkeepsie  confirms  this. 

Since  these  vessels  were  built  originally  they  have  both 
been  enlarged  in  their  hulls,  having  had  thirty  feet  in  length 
added  to  each  vessel.  The  "Albany"  was  lengthened  in  1892, 
and  at  the  same  time  the  radial  paddle  wheelis  were  re- 
moved and  those  of  the  feathering  type  substituted.  The 
"New  York"  was  lengthened  in  1897.  There  are  no  steam- 
boats in  this  country  that  are  better  cared  for,  below  deck 
as  well  as  on  deck,  than  are  the  day-line  boats.  The  line 
increased  the  number  of  landings  in  New  York  City  by 
stopping  at  West  One-Hundred  and  Twenty-ninth  street  dur- 
ing the  season  of  1902. 

.The  improvement  of  the  channel  of  the  upper  river  has 
been  a  subject  that  has  covered  a  period  of  many  years  and, 
during  the  early  operations,  brought  many  disappointments 
to  the  projectors.  While  there  has  nearly  always  been 
water  enough  below  New  Baltimore  for  the  purpose  of  navi- 
gation, this  upper  section  of  the  river,  so  far  as  its  history 
is  known,  has  always  been  obstructed  by  bars  and  shoals, 
due  to  the  existence  of  numerous  islands  and  sloughs,  and 
to  the  dispersion  of  the  river  water  over  too  great  an  area. 
Since  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century  many  efforts 
have  been  made,  both  under  State  and  National  authority,  to 
improve  the  navigation  of  this  part  of  the  river  by  dredging 
and  by  the  construction  of  dikes  designed  to  cut  off  side 
channels,  and  to  contract  the  main  waterway  to  such  an 
extent  that  its  natural  scour  would  deepen  the  channel  to  the 
extent  required.  The  earliest  improvements  in  this  part  of 
the  river  were  made  by  the  State  of  New  York,  and  it  was 
not  until  1831,  when  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Federal  Gov- 
ernment had,  by  a  judicial  decision,  been  extended  over 
these  waters,  that  the  general  government  began  to  consider 
the  question  of  the  improvement  of  its  navigation.  Since 


HUDSON   RIVER.  141 

then,  partly,  the  improvement  of  the  Hudson  River  has  been 
conducted  both  by  the  State  of  New  York  and  by  the  general 
government. 

Prior  to  1831,  when  the  general  government  took  up  the 
question  of  the  improvement  of  this  part  of  the  Hudson  River, 
the  State  work  had  been  chiefly  restricted  to  the  construction 
of  jetties  and  to  dredging,  which  resulted  in  no  permanent 
improvement  to  the  river.  From  1797  to  1819  the  Legislature 
of  the  State  of  New  York  appropriated  over  $185,000  for  the 
construction  of  jetties  and  dams  between  Waterford  and 
New  Baltimore,  which  resulted  in  transferring  deposits  from 
one  place  to  another,  which  formed  new  islands  that  proved 
a  great  disadvantage  to  navigation  without  improving  it.  The 
impediments  to  navigation  in  this  part  of  the  river  were  so 
serious  at  this  time  that  among  other  projects  for  improving 
it  was  the  plan  of  a  ship  canal  in  1804,  to  extend  from  Albany 
to  New  Baltimore,  or  in  that  locality  where  sufficient  depth 
of  water  could  be  found  for  the  purpose.  This  did  not  meet 
the  approval  of  the  prominent  engineers  of  that  day. 

The  principle  of  improvement  adopted  by  the  United 
States  when  it  took  up  this  question  was  this,  namely,  to 
control  the  channels  by  means  of  longitudinal  dikes  intended 
to  aid  in  scouring  away  the  bars  and  shoals,  and  to  help  this 
action  by  dredging.  Under  this  principle  the  United  States 
Government,  in  1835,  1836,  and  1837,  constructed  the  Port 
Schuyler  dike  at  West  Troy,  and  the  Overslaugh  dike  just 
below  Albany. 

Then  followed  a  long  interval  of  time  in  which  no  per- 
manent improvement,  was  made  beyond  some  little  dredging 
by  the  United  States,  while  the  State  of  New  York  also  had 
some  dredging  done  to  relieve  the  embarrassment  of  a  dry 
season. 

It  was  not  until  1863  that  the  State  of  New  York  again 
took  up  the  matter  of  the  improvement  of  the  upper  river, 
and,  between  that  date  and  1867,  besides  repairing  the  old 
dikes,  constructed  six  new  ones  on  the  east  side  of  the  river 
below  Greenbush  to  Houghtaling  Island.  In  1866,  the  general 
government  having  appropriated  $83,000  for  the  improvement 
of  the  river,  operations  were  begun  for  repairs  of  the  exist- 
ing works  that  had  received  but  little  care  and  attention  since 


142  HUDSON   RIVER. 

their  construction,  and  this  was  the  first  step  taken  for  the 
permanent  benefit  to  navigation  of  the  river.  Since  then 
the  system  of  longitudinal  dikes  to  confine  the  current  suffi- 
ciently to  allow  the  ebb  and  flow  of  the  tide  to  keep  the 
channel  clear  has  been  carried  out.  The  United  States  Gov- 
ernment has  been  liberal  in  its  appropriations  for  the  im- 
provement of  the  river,  and  though  the  aggregate  sum  ex- 
pended since  1880  is  over  $2,500,000,  still  there  has  been  a 
permanent  benefit  reached  that  could  be  obtained  only  by  the 
outlay  of  large  sums  of  money. 

The  depth  of  the  channel  at  mean  low  water  during  the 
years  1819,  1852,  1878,  1900,  are  noted  respectively  on  Over- 
slaugh bar,  5  feet,  8  feet  7  inches,  9  feet  8  inches,  11  feet  5 
inches  (Bogart  Light  Shoal);  Culyer's  bar,  4  feet,  7  feet  5 
inches,  9  feet  5  inches,  12  feet;  Coeyman's  bar,  5  feet,  7  feet 
5  inches,  9  feet  3  inches,  12  feet. 

The  purpose  of  the  government  at  this  time  in  the  further 
improvement  of  the  river  is  to  maintain  all  the  permanent 
structures,  and  to  construct  a  few  new  ones;  also  to  deepen 
the  entire  reach  under  improvement  so  as  to  afford  a  channel 
400  feet  wide  and  12  feet  deep  at  mean  low  water  from  Cox- 
sackie  to  Troy. 

At  this  period  the  steamboat  channel  in  the  upper  Hud- 
son Eiver  is  maintained  by  the  Federal  government,  while 
the  side  cuts  at  West  Troy  and  Albany  and  Albany  basin  are 
maintained  by  the  State  of  New  York. 

DETAILS  OF  SOME  OF  THE  HUDSON  RIVER  STEAMBOATS. 

"North  America,"  1840,  hull  built  by  Devine  Burtis,  at 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  230'x26'x9';  .one  vertical  beam  engine  by 
James  Cunningham,  48  inches  cylinder  by  11  feet  stroke; 
water  wheels,  28'xlO':  two  iron  boilers  of  Milliken's  patent. 

"South  America,"  1841,  hull  built  by  Devine  Burtis,  at 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  260'x26'9x9'3;  one  vertical  beam  engine  by 
James  Cunningham,  of  New  York,  54  inches  cylinder  by  11  feet 
stroke;  water  wheels,  30'xll';  two  iron  boilers  of  Milliken's 
patent;  average  pressure  of  steam,  45  pounds  per  square 
inch,  cutting  off  at  half  the  stroke. 

"Troy,  1841,  hull  built  by  William  Capes,  at  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.,  295'x30'x9'4. ;  two  beam  engines  from  the  Hudson  Elver 


HUDSON    RIVER.  143 

steamboat  "Erie,"  and  fitted  in  the  hold  of  the  vessel  as  Light- 
hall's  horizontal  beam  engines,  having  cylinders  each  44  inches 
diameter  by  10  feet  stroke;  water  wheels,  29'xl2'. 

"Empire,"  1843,  hull  built  by  William  H.  Brown,  of  New 
York,  30?'6x30'6x9'9;  two  of  LighthalFs  horizontal  beam 
engines  in  the  hold  of  the  vessel,  having  cylinders  each  48 
inches  diameter  by  12  feet  stroke. 

"Knickerbocker,"  1843,  hull  built  by  Smith  &  Dimon,  of 
New  York,  291'6x31'6x9'6;  one  vertical  beam  engine  from 
Hudson  River  steamboat  "DeWitt  Clinton,"  having  cylinder 
65  inches  diameter  by  10  feet  stroke,  refitted  in  vessel  by 
Hogg  &  Delamater,  of  New  York. 

"Oregon,"  1845,  hull  built  by  Smith  &  Dimon,  of  New 
York,  318'x35'xlO' ;  one  vertical  beam  engine,  built  by  Novelty 
Iron  Works,  of  New  York,  with  cylinder  of  72  inches  diameter 
by  11  feet  stroke;  water  wheels,  34'xll'. 

"Niagara,"  1845,  hull  built  by  William  &  Thomas  Collyer, 
at  New  York,  265'x28'6x9'3 ;  one  vertical  beam  engine  by 
Hogg  &  Delamater,  with  cylinder  60  inches  diameter  by  11 
feet  stroke;  water  wheels,  30'xll';  cylinder  was  subsequently 
increased  to  65  inches  diameter. 

"Rip  Van  Winkle,"  1845,  hull  built  by  George  Collyer,  at 
New  York,  240'x26'6x8'8;  one  engine  having  cylinder  54  inches 
diameter  by  10  feet  stroke. 

"St.  Nicholas,"  1845,  hull  built  by  William  H.  Brown, 
180'8x26'6x9';  one  vertical  beam  engine  having  cylinder  40 
inches  diameter  by  11  feet  stroke;  water  wheels,  29'6x8'4. 

"Isaac  Newton,"  1846,  hull  built  by  William  H.  Brown, 
at  New  York,  for  Captain  Peck,  under  the  name  of  "George 
Washington,"  but  was  changed  before  launching,  338'x40'xll' ; 
one  vertical  beam  engine  by  Allaire  Works,  having  cylinder 
81  inches  diameter  by  12  feet  stroke;  two  iron  boilers;  water 
wheels,  39'xl2'. 

.  "Metamora,"  1846,  hull  built  by  Lawrence  &  Sneeden,  at 
New  York,  165'x25'x8';  one  vertical  beam  engine,  40  inches 
diameter  by  10  feet  stroke,  by  Pease  &  Murphy,  of  New 
York. 

"Roger  Williams,"  1846,  hull  built  by  Devine  Burtis,  at 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  212'x27'x9';  one  vertical  beam  engine  by 
Henry  R.  Dunham  &  Co.,  Archimedes  Iron  Works,  having 


144  HUDSON   RIVER. 

cylinder  of  44  inches  diameter  by  11  feet  stroke;    one  iron 
boiler  in  the  hold  of  the  vessel ;  water  wheels,  28'7x8'2. 

"Thomas  Powell,"  1846,  hull  built  by  Lawrence  &  Sneeden, 
of  New  York,  225'x28'6x9'6;  one  vertical  beam  engine,  48 
inches  diameter  of  cylinder  by  11  feet  stroke,  built  by  T.  F. 
Secor  &  Co.,  of  New  York  City;  two  boilers  on  the  guards; 
water  wheels,  29'6x9'  face. 

"Armenia/7  1847,  hull  built  by  Thomas  Collyer,  of  New 
York,  185'x28'x8'6  originally;  one  vertical  beam  engine  by 
Henry  B.  Dunham  &  Co.,  having  cylinder  34  inches  diameter 
by  14  feet  stroke,  but  subsequently  increased  by  substitution 
of  a  40  inches  cylinder;  water  wheels,  29'4x8'3;  originally  one 
iron  boiler  below  deck,  subsequently  two  boilers. 

"Alida,"  1847,  hull  built  by  William  H.  Brown,  of  New 
York,  276'x28'6x9'6;  one  vertical  beam  engine  by  Henry  R. 
Dunham  &  Co.,  having  cylinder  56  inches  diameter  by  12  feet 
stroke,  but  subsequently  power  increased  by  substitution  of  a 
62  inches  cylinder;  water  wheels,  32'8x9'6;  two  iron  boilers 
on  guards;  working  pressure  of  steam,  40  pounds,  cutting  off 
at  one-half  the  stroke. 

"Manhattan,"  1847,  hull  built  by  Devine  Burtis,  256'6x 
26'5x8'8;  one  vertical  beam  engine  of  50  inches  cylinder  by 
11  feet  stroke. 

"New  World,"  1848,  hull  by  William  H.  Brown,  of  New 
York,  371'x47'  (originally  36')xlO'4;  one  vertical  beam  engine 
by  T.  F.  Secor  &  Co. — Morgan  Iron  Works,  of  New  York,  later 
date — having  cylinder  of  76  inches  diameter  by  15  feet  stroke ; 
two  iron  boilers  on  guards;  water  wheels,  45'xl2';  working 
pressure  of  steam,  45  pounds,  cutting  off  at  8  feet  of  the  stroke. 

"Joseph  Belknap,"  1849,  hull  built  by  Thomas  Collyer, 
187'x27'4x8';  one  vertical  beam  engine  built  by  Henry  R 
Dunham  &  Co.,  having  cylinder  40  inches  diameter  by  12 
feet  stroke;  water  wheels,  28'10"x8 ';  two  iron  boilers  in  the 
hold. 

"Reindeer,"  1850,  hull  built  by  Thomas  Collyer,  of  New 
York,  260'x34'x9'9 ;  one  vertical  beam  engine  by  Morgan  Iron 
Works,  having  cylinder  of  56  inches  diameter  and  12  feet 
stroke;  two  iron  boilers  in  the  hold,  of  the  double  return 
flue  type,  each  20  feet  long,  10  feet  6  inches  width  of  front, 
and  10  feet  6  inches  diameter  of  cylindrical  shell,  with  two 


HUDSON    RIVER.  145 

furnaces;  working  pressure  of  steam,  40  pounds,  cutting  off 
one-half;  water  wheels,  33'6"x9'6". 

"Francis  Skiddy,"  1850,  hull  built  by  George  Collyer, 
325'x38'6xll'6;  one  -vertical  beam  engine  by  Belknap  &  Cun- 
ningham, of  New  York,  having  cylinder  of  70  inches  diameter 
by  14  feet  stroke,  writh  four  iron-flue  boilers,  two  on  each 
guard,  each  28  feet  long  by  8  feet  diameter,  of  cylindrical  shell, 
and  operated  under  a  pressure  of  40  pounds  to  the  square  inch, 
cutting  off  at  7  feet  6  inches;  water  wheels,  40'xll'. 

"Henry  Clay,"  1851,  hull  built  by  Thomas  Collyer,  of  New 
York,  198'6x27'6x7'4;  one  vertical  beam  engine  by  Belknap 
&  Cunningham,  of  New  York,  with  cylinder  of  44  inches  diam- 
eter and  12  feet  stroke. 

"Glen  Cove,"  1854,  hull  built  by  Thomas  Collyer,  of  New- 
York,  195'5x32'x8'6;  one  vertical  beam  engine  from  the 
"Henry  Clay." 

"Daniel  Drew,"  1861,  hull  built  by  Thomas  Collyer,  251'8 
on  deck,  244  feet  load-water  line,  by  30'6x9'3  depth  of  hold ; 
one  vertical  beam  engine  from  the  tugboat  "Titan"  of  60 
inches  diameter  of  cylinder  by  10  feet  stroke,  refitted  in  vessel 
by  Neptune  Iron  Works,  of  New  York;  a  68  inches  cylinder 
replaced  the  original  shortly  after;  water  wheels.  29'x9';  two 
return-flue  boilers;  working  pressure  of  steam,  35  pounds, 
cutting  off  at  one-half,  with  26  revolutions  at  that  pressure. 

"Mary  Powell,"  1£61,  hull  built  by  M.  C.  Allison,  of  Jersey 
City,  N.  J.,  286'x34'3x9';  hull  rebuilt  1875,  and  again  in  1881, 
by  Ward,  Stanton  &  Co.,  of  Newburgh,  N.  Y.;  one  vertical 
beam  engine,  built  by  Fletcher,  Harrison  &  Co.,  of  New  York, 
later  A.  &  W.  Fletcher  &  Co.,  of  Hoboken,  N.  J.,  having  cylin- 
der 62  inches  diameter  by  12  feet  stroke,  that  was  increased 
to  a  72  inches  by  12  feet  in  1874,  when  two  steel  boilers  were 
added  of  the  flue-return  tubular  type;  water  wheels,  31'xlO'6. 

"Chauncey  Vibbard,"  1864,  hull  built  by  Lawrence  & 
Foulks,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  265'x35'x9'6,  but  was  subse- 
quently lengthened;  one  vertical  beam  engine,  built  by 
Fletcher,  Harrison  &  Co.,  having  cylinder  62*4  inches  diameter 
by  12  feet  stroke;  water  wheels,  30'2x9'6. 

"Berkshire,"  1864,  hull  built  at  Athens,  N.  Y.,  266'x 
35'x9'6;  one  vertical  beam  engine,  formerly  in  the  Hudson 
River  steamboat  "South  America"  of  1841,  rebuilt  and  fitted 


146  HUDSON    RIVER. 

in  vessel  by  Fletcher,  Harrison  &  Co.,  having  cylinder  of  54 
inches  by  11  feet;  water  wheels,  30'x9'. 

"St.  John,"  1864,  hull  bnilt  by  John  Englis  &  Son,  of  New 
York,  393'x51'xlO'2;  one  vertical  beam  engine,  formerly  in  the 
steamboat  "New  World,"  rebuilt  by  the  Allaire  Works,  but 
given  a  cylinder  of  85  inches  diameter  with  a  stroke  of  15  feet ; 
water  wheels,  48'xlO'6". 

"Dean  Bichmond,"  1865,  hull  built  by  John  Englis  &  Son,  of 
New  York,  348'x46'xlO/6;  one  vertical  beam  engine,  formerly 
in  the  "Francis  Skiddy,"  but  rebuilt  by  the  Allaire  Works  and 
given  a  cylinder  of  75  inches  diameter  by  14  feet  stroke. 

"Drew,"  1867,  hull  built  by  John  Englis  &  Son,  of  New 
York,  366'5x47'5xl0'8;  one  vertical  beam  engine,  constructed 
by  the  Allaire  Works,  with  a  cylinder  of  81  inches  diameter 
by  15  feet  stroke. 

"Saratoga,"  1877,  hull  built  by  John  Englis  &  Son,  at 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  282'x36'xlO';  one  vertical  beam  engine,  form- 
erly in  steamboat  "Sunnyside,"  but  given  a  cylinder  of  60 
inches  diameter  by  12  feet  stroke;  water  wheels,  32'x9'. 

"Albany,"  1880,  iron  hull  built  by  The  Harlan  &  Hollings- 
worth  Co.,  of  Wilmington,  Del.,  285'x40'xll'6;  one  vertical 
beam  engine,  built  by  W.  &  A.  Fletcher  Co.,  having  cylinder 
of  73  inches  diameter  by  12  feet  stroke;  three  lobster-back 
boilers;  originally  had  radial  water  wheels,  32'xiriO. 

"Kaaterskill,"  1882,  hull  built  by  Van  Loan  &  Magee,  at 
Athens,  N.  Y.,  265'x38'xlO';  one  vertical  beam  engine,  by 
W.  &  A.  Fletcher  Co.,  having  a  cylinder  of  63  inches  diameter 
by  12  feet  stroke ;  two  lobster-back  flue  boilers ;  water  wheels, 
31'xlO'. 

"Adirondack,"  1896,  hull  built  by  John  Englis  &  Son, 
at  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  388'x50'xl2' ;  one  vertical  beam  engine, 
having  a  cylinder  of  81  inches  diameter  by  12  feet  stroke,  by 
V.  &  A.  Fletcher  Co. 

The  two  disturbing  elements  in  early  times  on  the  Hud- 
son River  were  the 

"Express,"  1841,  hull  built  at  New  York,  172'x23'x8'3, 
with  a  "square"  engine  of  32'xlO'. 

"Napoleon,"  1829,  hull  built  by  Smith  &  Dimon,  at  New 
York,  134'6x25'6x6'7,  with  a  square  engine  31"x6'. 


HUDSON    RIVER   TOWNS.  147 

*ll 

~s&^  **' 

HUDSON  EIVER  TOWNS. 

to  the  opening  of  the  Hudson  River  Railroad  from 
New  York  to  Albany  in  1851,  there  were  steamboat  lines  to 
most  of  the  important  points  on  the  river,  this  being  the  most 
expeditious  mode  of  traveling,  previous  to  the  date  named, 
between  the  various  towns  on  the  river.  The  boats  did  not 
make  as  many  landings  as  they  did  at  a  later  date — that  is,  the 
way  boats — four  landings  being  about  the  average  between 
the  terminal  points.  The  consequence  was,  there  were  a  larger 
number  of  steamboats  on  the  river  than  at  a  later  date^hich 
accounts  in  a  measure  for  the  lively  times  that  existed  at 
periods,  when  trials  of  speed  of  the  different  vessels  were  in- 
dulged in. 

HUDSON. 

From  about  1830,  for  a  longer  or  shorter  period,  run  the 
"Legislator,"  the  "Westchester,"  this  boat  at  one  time  be- 
longed to  Cornelius  Vanderbilt;  the  "General  Jackson,"  an- 
other of  Vanderbilt's,  a  very  indifferent  vessel ;  the  "Superior" 
and  "Fail-field,"  this  was  a  small  vessel  that  was  built  by  Cap- 
tain Peck  and  had  run  to  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  from  New  York 
about  1838,  and  1842  for  a  few  years  to  Hudson.  About  1852, 
the  "South  America"  and  the  "North  America,"  that  had  run 
in  the  People's  line  for  many  years,  were  placed  on  the  New 
York  and  Hudson  line  where  the  former  run  until  about  1862. 
The  "Columbia"  also  run  for  a  few  years  prior  to  1860.  About 
the  last  work  the  "South  America"  and  the  "North  America" 
done  was  in  the  transport  service.  The  "South  America"  was 
chartered  on  May  6,  1862,  by  the  New  Haven  Steamboat  Com- 
pany, and  the  charter  expired  February  20,  1863,  at  f 400  per 
day.  The  "North  America"  was  chartered  by  J.  W.  Hancox 
in  1862  and  1863  at  $400  and  $325  per  day,  respectively.  She 
was  sold  by  her  owners,  Daniel  D.  Chamberlain  and  Joseph  W. 
Hancock,  to  the  government  on  July  9th,  1863,  for  $55,000. 
She  sank  at  Algiers,  Louisiana,  on  October  8th,  1863.  The 
"Connecticut"  made  a  landing  here  a  portion  of  the  time  when 
running  to  Troy.  The  "Rip  Van  Winkle"  and  the  "Oregon" 
also  stopped  here  about  the  same  time. 

In  1864  the  "Berkshire"  was  built  at  Athens,  N.  Y.,  and 
the  engine  from  the  "South  America"  was  fitted  in  the  vessel. 


148  HUDSON    RIVER   TOWNS. 

This  vessel  had  been  running  to  Hudson  but  a  few  months, 
when  on  a  trip  to  New  York,  on  June  8,  1864,  took  fire  in  the 
lamp  room  and  was  almost  totally  destroyed,  with  thirty-five 
persons  being  drowned  in  their  efforts  to  reach  the  shore.  As 
soon  as  the  fire  wras  discovered,  the  vessel  was  headed  for 
Esopus  Island  and  beached.  The  main  deck  was  filled  with 
baled  hay  as  freight,  to  which  the  fire  rapidly  spread,  giving 
small  chance  to  save  the  vessel.  The  owners  of  the  vessel  were 
Geo.  H.  Powers,  Milton  Martin  and  others.  What  was  left 
of  the  hull  was  raised  and  rebuilt,  and  fitted  with  a  beam- 
propeller  engine  and  named  "Nuhpa,"  that  run  on  the  Hudson 
River  for  some  time  with  the  "W.  C.  Redfield."  This  vessel 
was  afterwards  purchased  by  the  Vermont  Central  Railroad 
Company  and  run  as  a  freight  steamer  from  New  York  to  New 
London,  Conn.,  under  the  name  of  "Metropolitan."  She  will  be 
remembered  at  this  time  as  having  very  high  and  heavy  hog 
frames.  She  went  out  of  use  about  1896. 

For  several  years  the  propellers,  "W.  C.  Redfield"  and  the 
"Thomas  McManus"  performed  the  service  on  the  Hudson 
night  line  until  1890,  when  the  former  was  purchased,  and  two 
years  later  the  "McManus,"  by  the  Catskill  Company,  who  still 
continue  to  operate  the  line. 

CATSKILL. 

The  "Frank,"  a  small  steamboat  of  135  feet  long,  with  a 
square  engine  of  30  inches  by  6  feet,  built  for  James  P.  Allaire 
to  run  from  New  York  to  landings  on  the  Shrewsbury  River, 
New  Jersey,  was  placed  about  1838  on  the  route  from  New 
York  to  Catskill,  where  she  remained  for  three  years,  carrying 
passengers  and  towing  barges.  Afterwards  the  "Washington," 
a  larger  boat  than  the  "Frank,"  was  engaged  on  the  route  until 
1845  or  1846,  when  the  "Utica,"  that  had  been  on  the  Albany 
night  line,  was  put  on  as  a  consort  to  the  "Washington," 
where  they  remained  for  several  years.  Catskill  was  consid- 
ered by  the  Albany  lines  as  a  good  landing  for  passengers, 
and  consequently  was  well  served  with  accommodations  in  the 
number  of  steamboats  which  made  that  point  a  landing  place. 
It  was  always  one  of  the  objects  of  the  competing  lines  before 
1850,  in  their  trips  down  the  river,  to  endeavor  to  arrive  in  ad- 
vance at  either  Hudson  or  Catskill,  and  thus  secure  the  passen- 


RIVER  TOWNS.  149 

gers  waiting  to  go  down  the  river,  and  often  the  racing  for 
the  landing  has  been  very  exciting  and  much  enjoyed  by  the 
passengers  on  the  rival  steamboats. 

In  1863  the  "Thomas  Powell"  was  on  this  route,  having 
been  lengthened  and  state  rooms  added,  where  she  remained 
for  several  years,  and  at  a  later  date  the  "Sunnyside,"  and  for 
a  lime  the  "New  Champion."  The  two  former  were  withdrawn 
in  the  spring  of  1872. 

The  "New  Champion"  and  the  "Andrew  Harder,"  a  pro- 
peller, formed  a  line  to  this  landing  in  1872,  1873  and  1874,  and 
during  the  years  1875-1870,  the  former,  with  the  "Walter 
Brett"  x  "Mary  Benton"  that  had  seen  much  service  as  a 
transport  during  the  Civil  War.  In  1877  the  "Charlotte  Van- 
derbilt"  and  the  "Escort"  were  added  to  the  traveling  facili- 
ties of  Catskill,  and  a  lively  opposition  was  maintained  be- 
tween the  two  lines  until  1879,  when  the  latter,  known  as  the 
New  York  and  Catskill  Steamboat  Company,  bought  the  "Wal- 
ter Brett." 

Since  the  organization  of  the  new  company  they  have  built 
the  "City  of  Catskill,"  in  1880,  by  Van  Loan  &  Magee,  at 
Athens,  N.  Y.,  and  in  1882,  the  "Kaaterskill,"  a  much  larger 
and  better  appointed  vessel  than  had  ever  been  on  the  route 
before,  by  the  same  builders.  This  latter  vessel  was  first 
placed  in  service  in  August,  1882,  and  had  been  running  less 
than  a  month,  when  on  a  trip  down  the  river  and  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Stony  Point,  her  engine  was  disabled  by  the  breaking  of 
the  strap  of  the  working  beam.  The  connecting  rod  in  falling 
broke  the  main  steam  pipe,  and  one  person  died  from  inhaling 
the  escaping  steam  and  several  were  severely  scalded.  On 
July  14,  of  the  same  year,  the  "Charlotte  Vanderbilt,"  while 
on  a  trip  down  the  river  and  about  one  mile  above  Esopus 
light,  was  run  into  by  the  steam  yacht  "Yosemite,"  bound  to 
Catskill,  and  cut  in  two  at  the  forward  gangway,  causing  her 
to  sink  immediately.  The  Catskill  boat  had  no  passengers  on 
board  at  this  time,  being  now  used  as  a  spare  boat  and  em- 
ployed in  carrying  freight.  Then  to  round  out  the  triple  to 
break  the  spell,  the  "City  of  Catskill,"  while  under  charter  to 
run  to  Rondout,  was  burned  at  her  dock  February  11,  1883. 
The  company  was  very  unfortunate  at  this  period  with  their 
boats.  The  "Escort"  was  rebuilt  in  1883  and  name  changed 


150  HUDSON"    RIVER   TOWNS. 

to  "Catskill."  She  was  in  collision  with  the  steamboat  "St. 
John"  when  opposite  Fifty-eighth  street,  New  York,  on  Sep- 
tember 15,  1897,  when  she  was  cut  down  and  sank,  two  lives 
being  lost  at  the  time.  The  vessel  was  raised  and  rebuilt  and 
named  "City  of  Hudson." 

The  present  name  of  the  New  York,  Catskill  and  Athens 
Steamboat  Company  was  acquired  at  the  time  of  the  purchase 
of  the  Hudson  line  boats— "William  C.  Kedfield,"  in  1890,  and 
"Thomas  McManus,"  in  1892,  when  Hudson  and  Athens 
interest  entered  the  company.  These  two  propellers  run  to 
Hudson  and  Coxsackie,  thus  giving  the  company  control  of  all 
the  water  transportation  above  Catskill  to  Stuyvesant  under 
the  name  of  the  Catskill  Evening  line.  The  "Thomas  Mc- 
Manus" was  destroyed  by  fire  while  lying  at  her  dock  at  New 
York,  on  August  26th,  1902. 

The  first  iron-hull  vessel  owned  by  the  company  was  built 
for  them  in  1898,  at  Newburgh,  N.  Y.,  with  the  machinery  by 
W.  &  A.  Fletcher  Company,  named  "Onteora,"  and  has  proved 
a  valuable  addition  to  the  line.  She  has  justly  earned  her 
place  of  the  queen  of  the  state-room  boats  of  the  river,  for 
in  the  first  summer  of  her  service  she  made  the  trip  from  New 
York  to  Catskill,  with  one  landing,  in  5  hours  and  25  minutes. 

"City  of  Catskill,"  250'x35'8xlO'9;  beam  engine,  56"xl2'. 

"Kaater skill,"  265'x38'xlO';  beam  engine,  63"xl2'. 

"Onteora,"  236'7x35'2xlO';  beam  engine,  55"xlO'. 

SAUGERTIES. 

In  the  early  days  of  steam  navigation  on  the  river,  Sauger- 
ties  did  not  have  a  line  of  steamboats  making  that  town  one 
of  the  terminals  of  the  route;  it  had  no  further  accommoda- 
tions than  being  used  as  a  landing  place  of  the  Albany  as 
well  as  the  Hudson  way  line  of  steamboats,  one  of  the  boats 
during  the  early  forties  being  the  "Robert  L.  Stevens."  This 
vessel  was  built  in  1835,  at  Kingston,  N.  Y.,  and  fitted  with 
a  beam  engine  constructed  by  the  West  Point  Foundry,  New 
York  City,  of  36-inch  cylinder,  10  feet  stroke,  and  subsequently 
increased  to  a  42"xlO'.  The  hull  of  the  vessel  was  175'x24'x8'; 
and  her  paddle  wheels  were  22  feet  diameter  by  11  feet  face. 
The  "James  Madison,'-  that  in  her  earlier  days  was  running  to 
Newburg  and  of  about  the  same  size  as  the  "K.  L.  Stevens," 


HUDSON    RIVER   TOWNS.  151 

also  served  this  landing  for  a  time.  There  were  other  boats 
that  tried  to  build  up  a  travel  from  this  landing  at  various 
times,  but  none  seemed  to  remain  for  any  length  of  time  other 
than  the  "R.  L.  Stevens"  that  went  out  of  existence  in  1861. 
There  was  another  steamboat  that  run  here  a  short  time  just 
prior  to  the  Civil  War,  the  "Charlotte  Vanderbilt."  This  ves- 
sel was  built  by  B.  C.  Terry,  at  Keyport,  N.  J.,  in  1857,  and  was 
207  feet  long  by  28'6xS'3,  arid  was  fitted  with  side  propellers— 
screw  propellers  fitted  on  the  side  of  the  vessel  in  the  place 
of  the  ordinary  radial  wheel — with  the  expectation  of  being 
able  to  drive  her  at  a  high  rate  of  speed,  and  to  make  the  trip 
between  New  York  and  Albany  and  return  between  sunrise 
and  sunset  during  the  long  days  of  the  year.  The  vessel  was 
launched  under  the  name  of  "Eureka,"  but  the  name  was 
changed  before  her  final  completion  to  "Charlotte  Vanderbilt." 
The  hull  was  divided  into  16  water-tight  compartments,  with 
a  fore  and  aft  bulkhead  on  the  centre  line  of  the  vessel  and 
for  about  every  twenty  feet  there  was  a  partial  thwart  ship 
bulkhead.  The  propelling  agency  in  the  vessel  was  the  novelty 
of  her  construction,  she  having  one  screw  propeller  of  14  feet 
diameter  by  25  feet  pitch  on  either  side  of  the  vessel,  each 
screw  being  operated  independently  of  the  other  by  a  pair  of 
oscillating  engines,  having  cylinders  of  24  inches  diameter  by 
24  inches  stroke.  Steam  was  furnished  by  two  Whitaker 
patent  vertical  tubular  boilers,  18  feet  by  9  feet  diameter, 
and  intended  for  a  working  pressure  of  100  pounds  and  lo- 
cated on  the  main  deck.  The  machinery  was  built  and  placed 
in  the  vessel  by  William  Birkbeck,  Fulton  Foundry,  Jersey 
City,  N.  J.  The  vessel  was  designed  by  Captain  Harry  Whit- 
aker, and  D.  J.  Townsend,  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  was  the  backer  of 
the  enterprise.  When  the  vessel  wras  nearly  completed,  in- 
ternal dissensions  appear  to  have  arisen  among  those  inter- 
ested, and  financial  troubles  fell  upon  the  enterprise,  and  it 
was  finally  abandoned  about  a  year  and  a  half  after  it  was 
started.  There  was  a  trial  trip  made  in  May,  1858,  where  it  was 
claimed  that  the  vessel  had  a  speed  of  about  1.3  miles  an  hour 
for  3  hours  under  a  steam  pressure  of  50  pounds,  the  pro- 
pellers making  76  revolutions  per  minute.  All  of  these  vessels 
seem  to  have  done  fairly  well  when  running  light,  but  just 
as  soon  as  the  draft  was  increased  bv  a  load  they  were 


152  HUDSON    IrtVER   TOWNS. 

tied  up  in  speed.  When  the  "Robert  L.  Stevens"  was  dis- 
mantled in  1861,  her  engine  was  placed  in  this  vessel,  the  old 
machinery  having  been  removed  some  time  previous  and  the 
ordinary  side  wheels  substituted,  and  her  name  shortly  after 
changed  to  "W.  F.  Russell,"  running  under  this  name  but  a 
short  time  when  the  original  name  was  taken  up  again.  She 
was  chartered  by  Anthony  Reybold,  of  Baltimore,  Md.,  to  the 
War  Department  in  June,  1862,  until  May,  1865,  at  from  f 240 
to  $300  per  day  under  several  charters,  under  the  name  of 
"John  Tucker."  From  1865  to  1871,  she  was  in  service  at 
Baltimore,  Md. 

The  last  of  this  side-propeller  type  of  vessel  in  this  coun- 
try, for  there  were  some  constructed  in  the  early  period  in 
Great  Britain,  was  one  built  by  Samuel  Pine,  of  Greenpoint, 
N.  Y.,  for  John  B.  Root,  in  1882,  as  a  small  lighter  to  carry  sugar 
around  the  coast  of  Cuba  and  named  the  "Daruuga."  The  ves- 
sel was  100  feet  over  all,  30  feet  beam  and  4  feet  6  inches  hold, 
with  three  fore  and  aft  bulkheads  in  the  hold.  No  record 
seems  to  have  been  left  of  the  machinery  of  the  vessel,  except- 
ing that  she  had  two  side  propellers  well  aft  of  the  centre  of 
the  length  of  the  vessel.  She  was  a  complete  failure. 

During  the  period  from  1861  to  1864,  there  were  several 
boats  that  filled  the  service  to  this  landing,  the  most  promi- 
nent being  the  "Rip  Van  Winkle."  In  the  latter  year  the  "An- 
sonia"  was  purchased  for  the  route,  her  last  employment  being 
a  charter  by  the  War  Department  at  f  700  per  day,  while  un- 
der the  control  of  Walter  Brett  &  Company.  This  vessel  was 
rebuilt  in  1891  and  lengthened  15  feet,  and  an  engine  from  the 
tugboat,  Joseph  Johnson,  that  was  sunk  about  1886,  of  42 
inches  by  8  feet  put  in  place  of  the  original  engine  that  was  a 
36-inch  by  11  feet.  The  name  of  the  rebuilt  vessel  was  changed 
to  "Ulster."  In  February,  1903,  the  vessel  was  rebuilt  again, 
mainly  by  adding  two  feet  to  the  top  timbers  of  her  frame,  so 
as  to  give  her  more  freeboard. 

The  "Ansoiiia"  was  the  only  boat  running  to  Saugerties 
from  1864  to  1888,  when  the  company  purchased  the  "Shenan- 
doah"  from  the  Old  Dominion  Steamship  Company,  being  one 
of  their  James  River  steamboats  built  in  1882,  at  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.,  and  fitted  with  an  engine  from  the  "Nath.  P.  Banks," 


HUDSON   RIVER   TOWNS.  153 

built  in  1863,  of  36"xlO'  stroke,  and  the  name  of  the  pur- 
chased vessel  was  changed  to  "Saugerties." 

In  the  division  of  the  territory  among  the  several  lines  on 
the  river  by  mutual  agreement,  that  lying  between  Hyde  Park 
on  the  south  and  Saugerties  on  the  north  was  placed  at  the 
service  of  the  Saugerties  line.  How  much  better  such  affairs 
are  arranged  at  this  period  between  several  interests  that 
might  become  antagonistic,  than  the  earlier  steamboat  owners 
settled  such  affairs.  Then  they  often  secured  harmony  with  a 
club. 

RONDOUT  AND  KINGSTON. 

Kondout  was  in  the  early  days  of  steam  navigation  on 
the  Hudson  River  like  many  of  the  upper  Hudson  River  towns 
situated  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  had  no  special  line  of 
steamboats  making  this  landing  a  terminal. 

In  1836  the  "General  Jackson"  was  running  to  Rondout, 
and  where  had  she  not  run  before  being  laid  aside?  For  some 
few  years  the  "Victory,"  a  vessel  of  139'x25'x9',  used  later  as  a 
tugboat  by  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Company  in  towing 
their  coal  barges  to  New  York,  was  also  carrying  passengers 
from  Kingston.  The  canal  of  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Coal 
Company  was  completed  in  1830,  and  their  barges  were  towed 
by  some  of  the  steamboats  on  the  river  until  they  had  obtained 
the  "Victory."  At  a  later  date  the  "Highlander,"  the  "North 
America"  and  the  "Manhattan"  stopped  there  at  various  times. 
At  a  later  period  there  was  a  propeller  named  the  "Sherman," 
•afterwards  called  "Elmendorf,"  that  was  carrying  passengers 
and  freight,  but  not  for  a  great  length  of  time. 

In  1860  the  "James  W.  Baldwin"  was  built  for  the  Romer 
&  Tremper  Company,  at  Jersey  City,  N.  J.,  for  the  route  with 
way  landings,  and  in  the  year  following  the  "Thomas  Cornell'' 
was  added,  the  vessel  being  built  at  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  These 
two  boats  formed  the.  night  line,  with  way  landings  to  Rondout, 
until  the  "Thomas  Cornell"  run  ashore  in  a  dense  fog  at  Dans- 
kammer's  Point  on  March  27,  1882,  where  she  proved  a  total 
loss.  The  "City  of  Catskill,"  of  the  New  York  and  Catskill 
line,  was  chartered  to  take  her  place  on  the  line,  where  she 
remained  in  service  during  the  whole  of  that  season,  but  on 
February  llth,  1883,  while  lying  in  winter  quarters  at  Rondout. 


154  HUDSON   RIVER   TOWNS. 

was  consumed  by  fire.  During  the  season  of  1883  the  "City  of 
Springfield,"  of  the  New  York  and  Hartford  line,  run  part  of 
the  season  with  the  "  James  .W.  Baldwin."  During  the  same 
year  the  Harlan  &  Hollings worth  Company  completed  an  iron- 
hull  propeller  for  the  Cornell  Steamboat  Company,  named 
"City  of  Kingston,"  to  run  with  the  "James  W.  Baldwin."  She 
proved  to  be  a  valued  acquisition  to  the  line,  possessed  of 
more  than  ordinary  speed  and  an  economical  consumer  of  coal 
for  her  power.  In  October,  1889,  the  vessel  was  sold  to  parties 
who  took  her  to  the  Pacific  Coast,  where  she  was  used  until 
sunk  by  collision  with  the  steamship  "Glenogle,"  in  Puget 
Sound,  on  April  23,  1899.  After  the  sale  of  the  "City  of  Kings 
ton"  the  Romer  &  Tremper  Company  acquired  the  right  to 
all  the  business  of  the  night  line  to  Rondout,  and  as  it  would 
take  too  long  a  time  to  have  a  vessel  built  that  was  especially 
adapted  for  the  business  on  the  route,  they  purchased  the 
"Mason  L.  Weems,"  built  at  Baltimore  in  1881.  She  has  since 
run  with  the  "Baldwin"  under  the  name  of  "William  F.  Romer" 
on  the  night  line. 

In  1.861,  the  "Mary  Powell"  was  built  for  the  day  route  to 
Rondout,  stopping  at  the  principal  landings  between  there  and 
New  York,  leaving  Rondout  in  the  morning  and  New  York 
in  the  afternoon.  The  hull  of  this  vessel  was  built  by  M.  S. 
Allison,  of  Jersey  City,  N.  J.,  while  her  machinery  was  con- 
structed by  Fletcher  Harrison  &  Company,  of  New  York.  The 
original  cylinder  of  this  engine  was  62  inches  diameter,  but 
in  1875  one  of  72  inches  was  substituted.  In  1880  the  hull 
of  the  vessel  was  rebuilt  by  Ward  Stanton  &  Company,  of 
Newburg,  N.  Y.,  and  in  1889  was  again  rebuilt. 

This  vessel  has  a  large  number  of  admirers  for  her  fine 
model,  and  who  consider  that  she  is  able  to  make  better  time 
than  any  steamboat  that  has  been  on  the  river  as  far  as  Ronr 
dout,  and  some  even  go  so  far  as  to  say  that  to  certain  points 
on  the  river  her  time  has  never  been  equalled. 

There  has  been,  since  the  "Albany"  and  the  "New  York," 
of  the  Hudson  River  day  line,  have  been  running,  considerable 
discussion  at  one  time  -and  another  in  steamboat  circles  of 
the  question,  Which  is  the  fastest  boat,  the  "Mary  Powell," 
the  "Albany,"  or  the  "New  York?"  Each  have  their  admirers, 
who  are  positive  in  their  opinions  of  the  superiority  of  their 


HUDSON   RIVER  TOWNS.  155 

favorite,  but  it  is  very  doubtful  if  the  question  will  be  practi- 
cally settled,  as  to  the  relative  speed  of  these  vessels  by  a  trial. 

There  is  one  thing  to  answer  satisfactorily,  it  would  seem, 
for  the  "Mary  Powell"  to  maintain  the  claim  of  the  "Queen 
of  the  Hudson."  In  October,  1871,  the  "Mary  Powell,"  being 
at  this  time  the  property  of  A.  Van  Santvoord  and  J.  Me.  B. 
Davidson,  but  sold  to  A.  L.  Anderson  July  1,  1872,  made  four 
round  trips  on  the  Albany  day  line,  and  during  that  service 
was  unable  to  make  as  good  running  time  as  her  consort,  the 
"Daniel  DrewT,"  running  on  opposite  days.  If  she  was  the 
"Queen  of  the  Hudson,"  as  claimed,  why  did  she  not  maintain 
that  reputation  while  running  on  the  day  line? 

The  best  time  made  by  the  "Mary  Powell"  as  far  as  New- 
burg  was  in  August,  1874,  with  a  good  flood  tide  and  a  south 
wind,  from  Vestry  street  pier,  which  she  left  at  3.321/2  P.  M., 
and  arrived  at  Newburg  at  6.19%  P.  M.  Running  time,  2 
hours  4714  minutes,  including  landings  at  Cozzens,  West 
Point  and  Cornwall.  Running  time,  deducting  landings,  2 
hours  and  38  minutes.  The  run  has  several  times  been  made 
by  the  vessel  under  very  favorable  conditions  of  tide  in  2  hours 
and  50  minutes.  These  have  all  been  made  during  the  regular 
course  of  her  business,  but,  like  all  fast  trips,  conditions  were 
favorable  and  extra  effort  was  made  to  cut  the  time.  It  was 
claimed  some  years  ago  that  the  vessel  made  the  run  to 
Rondout  in  4  hours  and  20  minutes,  making  all  her  landings. 
Taking  her  courses  on  the  river,  the  distance  is  about  90  miles. 
It  is  safe  to  give  her  the  credit  of  being  the  Queen  of  the 
Lower  Hudson  River  lines. 

POUGHKEBPSIE. 

This  has  always  been  a  good  landing  for  the  steamboats 
on  the  river,  it  being  just  half  way  between  New  York  and 
Albany,  and  having  many  public  roads  leading  into,  the  ad- 
jacent farming  districts,  naturally  brought  a  good  deal  of 
trave]  and  freight  to  this  landing. 

,^The  first  steamboat  to  make  this  landing  a  terminal  was 
the  "Fire  Fly,"  in  1814,  and  for  two  years  later,  making  three 
round  trips  a  week.  This  was  one  of  Fulton  and  Livingston's 
boats,  and  was  the  smallest  of  the  fleet.  Landings  were  made 
at  four  other  points  to  New  York. '  Subsequently,  they  had  the 


156  HUDSON"   EIVER    TOWNS. 

"Paragon,"  and  still  later  the  "Richmond."  The  latter  was  the 
last  vessel  completed  by  Robert  Fulton,  and  had  one  of  those 
geared  engines  that  made  sufficient  noise  when  in  operation 
to  keep  a  heavy  sleeper  awake  by  its  noise.  After  the  "Rich- 
mond" came  the  "Providence" — the  "Little  Providence" — an- 
other old-timer  of  89  feet  in  length  with  a  square  engine  of  24 
inches  by  4  feet  stroke.  In  1838,  the  "Emerald,"  a  larger  boat 
than  either  of  those  named,  was  in  service  to  this  landing. 
Sometime  later  the  "Eureka,"  a  boat  of  180  feet  long,  was  run- 
ning for  a  time.  There  were  also  the  through  boats  making 
landings. 

When  the  Hudson  River  Railroad  was  opened  to  this  point 
in  1849,  the  business  by  water  fell  off  during  the  next  season 
to  such  an  extent  that  it  was  no  longer  a  profitable  invest- 
ment in  running  to  many  of  the  way  points  on  the  lower  part 
of  the  river,  although  this  landing  has  always  been  well 
served  .by  the  better  class  of  day  boats.  The  first  section  of 
the  Hudson  River  Railroad  was  opened  for  the  transportation 
of  passengers  from  New  York  to  Peekskill  on  September  29th, 
1849.  and  on  the  6th  of  December  following  was  completed  to 
New  Hamburg,  and  on  December  31st,  1849,  was  finished  to 
Poughkeepsie.  In  July,  1850,  Hudson  was  connected  with  New 
York  by  rail,  and  on  October  3d,  1851,  the  first  passenger  train 
passed  over  the  entire  road  between  New  York  and  Green- 
bush  in  3  hours  and  55  minutes. 

In  1860-1861  Lawrence  &  Foulks  built  for  Hamilton  & 
Smith  the  propeller  "Isaac  Smith,"  whose  dimensions  were 
165'x32'x9'  and  fitted  with  a  beam-propeller  engine  of  44-inch 
cylinder  by  5  feet  stroke,  constructed  by  Fletcher,  Harrison  & 
Company.  This  vessel  was  sold  to  the  Navy  Department  when 
finished,  for  the  gunboat  service  on  the  southern  rivers,  for 
|50,000,  and  retained  her  original  name.  She  was  captured  by 
Confederate  land  forces  in  January,  1863,  while  doing  duty 
in  Stono  River,  S.  C. 

In  1862  the  same  builders  of  the  "Isaac  Smith"  finished 
another  of  same  style  of  propeller  for  same  parties  and  named 
"D.  S.  Miller,"  but  the  engine  was  44-inch  cylinder  by  6  feet 
stroke  and  geared  up  to  about  3  to  1.  In  1864,  a  third  vessel 
was  built  for  same  parties,  of  slightly  increased  dimensions, 


HUDSON    RIVER   TOWNS.  157 

with  same  type  of  engine  of  45-inch  cylinder  by  6  feet  stroke, 
and  named  "John  L.  Hasbrouck." 

There  were  four  other  steamers  fitted  with  the  beam- 
propeller  engine  about  this  period  in  New  York  waters.  In 
1861  Lawrence  &  Foulks  constructed  the  "Flambeau"  for  the 
China  trade,  but  the  government  chartered  the  vessel  when  com- 
pleted. She  was  185'x30'xll',  with  the  machinery  by  Henry  Ess 
ler  &Co.,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y,,  having  cylinder  50  inches  diameter 
by  5  feet  stroke;  propeller,  10  feet  diameter  by  18  feet  pitch. 
In  1862  Lawrence  &  Foulks  built  for  P.  S.  Forbes,  for  China 
waters,  the  "Shan-Sco,"  of  210'x33'xl8',  with  beam-propeller 
engine  by  Fletcher,  Harrison  &  .Co.,  having  cylinder  50  inches 
by  6  feet  stroke.  Also  the  same  year  the  same  builders  con- 
structed for  same  party  the  "Sze-Chuin,"  of  same  dimensions 
as  the  former  vessel,  with  engine  of  same  size,  built  by  Henry 
Essler  &  Co.,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  This  vessel  had  two  flue 
boilers  in  the  hold  and  propeller  10'6  diameter.  Then  there 
was  the  "Nuhpa"  that  run  on  the  Hudson  River,  and,  as  the 
"Metropolitan,"  from  New  York  to  New  London  for  many 
years. 

In  the  consolidation  of  the  lower  Hudson  River  lines  a 
few  years  ago  the  "Daniel  S.  Miller"  and  the  "John  L.  Has- 
brouck" were  included.  Their  names  were  shortly  after 
changed,  the  "D.  S.  Miller"  to  "Poughkeepsie,"  and  the  "J.  L. 
Hasbrouck"  to  "Marlborough."  The  former  was  sunk  in  a  fog 
while  on  a  trip  to  New  York  by  going  ashore  at  Stony  Point, 
on  March  21st,  1901,  but  was  afterwards  raised  and  fitted  for 
service. 

NEWBURG. 

To  Newburg,  the  first  steamboat  that  is  found  to  have 
made  it  a  landing  other  than  the  New  York  and  Albany  way 
lines  was  the  "William  Young,"  in  1831,  that  made  Low  Point, 
a  few  miles  above  Fishkill,  the  upper  end  of  her  route.  This 
was  a  small  boat  of  113'10x23'4x7'8  dimensions  of  hull  and 
had  a  square  engine  of  40"x5r  stroke.  She  run  here  for  over 
five  years,  and  was  still  on  the  Hudson  River  in  1850.  In  1833, 
the  "Washington,"  a  larger  boat,  of  162  feet  long,  also  run  here 
for  a  time,  and  at  a  later  period  was  on  the  lower  Hudson 
River,  and  on  the  Catskill  line. 


158  HUDSON   RIVER  TOWNS. 

In  1835  more  interest  was  taken  in  the  steamboat  service 
to  this  landing,  for  Messrs.  Thomas  Powell,  Robert  Wardrop, 
and  Samuel  Johnson  contracted  with  Lawrence  &  Sneeden,  of 
New  York,  to  build  the  hull  of  a  steamboat  of  the  dimensions 
of  175 -feet  long,  24  feet  beam  and  8  feet  hold,  and  with  the 
West  Point  Foundry,  of  New  York,  to  build  the  machinery 
for  the  vessel  named  "Highlander."  The  beam  engine  was  a 
40-inch  cylinder  by  10  feet  stroke,  with  water  wheels  20  feet 
diameter  by  9  feet  face,  and  two  iron  boilers  on  the  guards. 


The  next  year  when  the  "Highlander"  was  on  the  route,  a  ves- 
sel that  had  just  been  finished  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  a  short 
time  before,  constructed  by  J.  Vaughan,  also  having  a  beam  en- 
gine of  the  same  size  as  the  "Highlander,"  but  was  10  feet 
greater  length  of  hull  and  named  "James  Madison,"  appeared 
on  the 'route  as  an  opposition,  and  the  contests  of  speed  be- 
tween these  rivals  were  frequent  for  a  long  time.  The  Dela- 
ware River  people  thought  they  were  going  to  carry  off  the 
flag  with  ease  when  coming  into  the  "enemy's  country,"  but 
they  had  not  counted  on  the  length  of  the  miles  on  the  Hudson 
River,  for  they  often  saw  their  rivals'  stern  in  a  contest.  They 
did  not  mind  racing  steamboats  in  those  days,  and  when  the 
contest  was  to  be  of  any  moment  and  announced  beforehand, 
the  builders  of  the  engines,  or  a  representative,  were  often  on 
board  to  aid  in  operation  of  the  engine,  or  to  give  advice.  The 
"Highlander"  remained  on  the  route  until  the  "Thomas  Powell" 
was  built  in  1846.  The  "James  Madison"  was  subsequently 
put  into  service  as  a  towboat  on  the  river,  and  her  engine  was 
afterward  used  in  the  towboat  "A.  B.  Valentine." 

In  1846  Thomas  Powell  and  others  had  constructed  bv 


HUDSON   RIVER  TOWNS.  159 

Lawrence  &  Sneeden  the  "Thomas  Powell."  The  hull*  was 
225'x28'6x9'6;  draft,  5  feet  6  inches;  beam  engine  built  by  T. 
F.  Secor  &  Co.;  48-inch  cylinder  and  11  feet  stroke;  two  iron 
boilers  on  the  guards;  average  pressure  of  steam,  50  pounds, 
cutting  off  at  8  feet;  consumption  of  anthracite  coal,  2  tons 
per  hour;  water  wheels,  29  feet  6  inches  diameter  by  9  feet 
length  of  paddles.  This  vessel  did  not  run  to  Newburg  after 
the  winter  of  1848,  for  we  find  that  she  was  sold  to  the  New 
York  and  Erie  Railroad  Company  in  April,  1849.  For  some 
time  prior  to  the  latter  date,  Thomas  Powell  had  been  in- 
terested in  the  New  York  and  Erie  Railroad  through  the  ab- 
sorption of  the  Newburg  branch  of  which  he  was  the  moving 
spirit  in  its  organization  as  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  Rail- 
road in  1836.  Homer  Ramsdell,  at  the  former  date,  was  in 
the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Erie  Railroad  Company,  and  its 


THOMAS   POWELL. 

President  from  1853  to  1857.  The  "Thomas  Powell"  was  al- 
ways a  favorite  with  the  traveling  public  on  the  river,  and  was 
considered  as  of  more  than  average  good  speed.  During  the 
first  four  years  of  the  vessel's  service  on  the  river,  there  were 
more  steamboats  of  high  speed  on  the  Hudson  River  than  at 
any  previous  period,  and  it  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  the 
"Thomas  Powell"  would  be  found  as  one  of  the  best  on  a  run  to 
Newburg.  Her  best  record  is  for  August  16th,  1846,  on  a  trip 
from  New  York  to  Newburg.  Total  time,  3  hours  and  6  min- 
utes; time  at  5  landings,  20  minutes;  making  running  time,  2 
hours  and  46  minutes. 


*The  United  States  Steamboat  Inspectors  at  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
reported  the  following  details  of  the  "Thomas  Powell,"  while  run- 
ning on  the  Delaware  River:  Hull,  231'2x28'llx9'x5'6  draft.  Two  iron 
boilers.  Beam  engine,  48"  cylinder  by  11  feet  stroke.  Pressure  of  steam, 
average  at  boiler,  41  pounds,  cutting  off  at  half  stroke.  Average 
revolutions,  22.  Water  wheels,  30  feet  by  9  feet  face.  Main  shaft,  12% 
inches  at  journal.  Consumption  of  coal,  2,500  pounds  per  hour. 


160  HUDSON    RIVER   TOWNS. 

After  the  Hudson  Kiver  Railroad  was  completed  to  Al- 
Ibany  in  1851,  and,  in  fact,  for  a  year  or  more  prior  to  that 
event,  passenger  travel  by  the  river  began  to  fall  off  and  the 
number  of  steamboats,  especially  to  the  way  landings,  began 
to  grow  less  in  number.  In  the  former  year  (1851)  the  "Thomas 
Powell"  was  taken  off  the  New  York  &  Erie  Railroad,  or  Pier- 
mont  route,  and  run  from  New  York  to  Poughkeepsie  for  a 
time,  but  was  subsequently  sold  to  run  on  the  Delaware  River 
with  the  "General  McDonald,"  from  Philadelphia  to  Cape  May. 
In  1856,  the  vessel  passed  into  the  possession  of  Captain  A.  L. 
Anderson  and  was  run  from  New  York  to  Poughkeepsie  and, 
later,  New  York  to  Rondout.  After  the  building  of  the  "Mary 
Powell"  the  vessel  passed  into  other  hands  and  a  few  years 
later  was  running  to  Catskill,  and  later  was  on  the  Troy  line, 
and  finally  was  broken  up  at  Port  Ewen,  in  1881. 

After  the  "Mary  Powell"  was  built  in  1861,  the  landing 
was  served  as  usual  in  the  morning  on  her  trip  from  Rondout 
and  return  in  the  afternoon,  and  by  the  Albany  day  line  from 
New  York  in  the  morning  on  the  run  to  Albany,  and  in  the 
afternoon  to  New  York  by  the  same  line,  as  the  present  prac- 
tice. In  1867,  for  a  few  months,  the  "Sunnyside"  was  running 
to  Newburg  and  the  principal  landings  to  New  York. 

The  Homer  Ramsdell  Transportation  Company  had  built 
in  1886,  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  an  iron  propeller  for  the  passen- 
ger and  freight  service,  named  the  "Newburg,"  and  the  next 
year  the  "Homer  Ramsdell"  was  constructed  as  a  consort  to 
the  former,  at  Newburg,  which  boats  have  since  filled  the  night 
line  to  Newburg  as  the  terminal.  This  line  was  one  of  those 
composing  the  Central  Hudson  Steamboat  Company,  of  1899. 
The  Rondout  line  of  night  boats  have  made  this  a  landing  for 
many  years.  The  "Homer  Ramsdell"  made  a  trip  on  Sunday, 
August  21st,  1887,  from  Franklin  Street  pier,  New  York,  to 
Newburg  in  3  hours  and  9  minutes. 

How  long  will  it  be  before  the  New  York  Central  &  Hud- 
son R.  R.  Company  will  have  the  controlling  interest  in  all 
of  the  passenger  and  freight  lines  on  the  river,  for  the  initial 
steps  are  believed  to  have  been  taken  some  years  ago?  Such 
objects  are  gained  step  by  step  without  attracting  much  notice 
from  those  outside  the  charmed  circle,  by  the  quiet  absorption 
of  stock  and  a  representative  occasionally  on  the  board  of 


162  HUDSON    RIVER   TOWNS. 

directors.     The  first  thing-  that  is  known  is  a  change  of  con- 
trolling interest.    It  will  come  on  the  river  in  time. 

SING  SING  AND  TARRYTOWN. 

Tn  1805  the  Lower  Hudson  Steamboat  Company  was  or- 
ganized of  residents  along  the  east  shore  of  the  river  as  far 
north  as  Sing  Sing,  1).  N.  Barney  being  president  of  the  com- 
pany. In  October,  of  that  year,  contracts  were  made  for  the 
building  of  the  hulls  of  two  side-wheel  steamboats  to  serve  the 
landings  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  above  Yonkers  and  as  far 
north  as  Sing  Sing.  This  was  an  opposition  on  part  of  the 
route  covered  by  the  Nyack  line.  The  contracts  for  the  hulls 
of  these  vessels  were  given  to  C.  &  K.  Poillon,  and  to 
Lawrence  &  Foulks,  both  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and 
were  named  "Sunnyside"  and  "Sleepy  Hollow,"  respec- 
tively. The  former  was  247'6x35'4x9',  while  the  latter  was  249' 
x35'4x9'.  The  engines  were  of  the  lever-beam  type,  each. 56 
inches  cylinder  by  12  feet  stroke  of  piston,  and  were  built  by 
Sam.  Secor  &  Co.,  of  New  York  City,  from  patterns  used  for 
steamship  engines  that  were  too  heavy  for  a  light-built  river 
boat.  This  line  commenced  operations  in  the  spring  of  1866,  ma- 
king landings  at  Yonkers,  Irvington,  and  Tarrytown  with  one 
boat,  and  covering  same  route  but  extending  to  Grassy  Point 
with  the  other  boat.  Peekskill  was  tried  for  a  time,  but  aban- 
doned on  account  of  shoal  water.  This  continued  during  1866 
and  until  July,  1867,  when  the  "Sunnyside"  was  taken  off  the 
route  and  run  to  Newburg  and  West  Point — to  New  York  in 
the  morning — for  the  balance  of  the  season,  while  the  "Sleepy 
Hollow"  continued  on  the  route.  The  enterprise  proving  un- 
profitable, the  boats  passed  into  other  hands,  the  "Sunnyside" 
being  subsequently  secured  by  Joseph  Cornell  for  the  Troy 
line,  and  the  "Sleepy  Hollow"  ("Long  Branch")  being  run  to 
Sandy  Hook  in  connection  with  the  New  Jersey  Southern  Rail- 
road. The  latter  was  afterwards  used  in  the  excursion  busi- 
ness in  New  York  waters,  and  was  finally  broken  up  about 
1896  or  1898.  The  "Sunnyside"  was  sunk  by  being  cut  through 
by  the  ice  while  on  the  Troy  line. 

In  1867,  1868  and  1869,  the  "General  Sedgwick,"  later 
known  as  the  "Bay  Queen,"  was  running  to  the  lower  Hudson 
Kiver  landings,  with  the  "Thomas  Colyer,"  also  at  frequent  in- 


HUDSON    EIVER   TOWNS.  1G3 

tervals.  With  the  regular  Nyack  line  serving  many  of  these 
landings,  there  was  no  want  of  frequent  communication  with 
the  metropolis.  During  the  early  part  of  the  period  above 
named  there  was  the  Lower  Hudson  Steamboat  Company's 
line  on  the  east  side  landings  as  an  opposition  to  a  part  of  the 
Nyack  system  that  made  lively  times  on  this  part  of  the  river 
while  it  lasted,  a  portion  of  the  time  the  latter  had  three  boats 
daily  on  the  lower  Hudson  to  the  different  landings.  Increased 
railroad  facilities  since  then  have  changed  the  course  of  travel. 

NYACK. 

The  earliest  record  of  steamboats  to  Nyack  would  appear 
to  be  that  of  the  "Orange,"  built  at  Nyack  in  1834,  and  was  in 
dimensions  of  the  hull  136'8x22'9x7'4,  with  a  "square"  engine 
of  30-inch  cylmder  by  6  feet  6  inch  stroke.  Isaac  Tallman  was 
captain  of  this  vessel  for  a  long  time,  which  run  here  for  some 
four  years.  The  "Kockland,"  built  at  Nyack,  in  1830,  was  a 
smaller  boat  than  the  "Orange,"  being  but  122'xl6'x6'3,  with 
one  of  those  "saw  mills,"  as  they  wrere  sometimes  called,  or 
"square"  engines,  of  30-inch  by  5  feet  stroke,  and  run  here  at 
different  periods  up  to  1840.  The  "Arrow"  was  built  in  1837 
by  Lawrence  &  Sneeden,  of  New  York,  for  this  route  and  run 
here  from  New  York  for  several  years.  The  hull  dimensions  of 
this  vessel  were  201'5x22'x8'6 ;  draft  of  water,  4  feet  6  inches, 
with  a  beam  engine  31-inch  cylinder  by  11  feet  stroke.  When 
first  built  the  vessel  was  about  160  feet  long,  but  was  subse- 
quently lengthened.  This  vessel  was  rebuilt  in  1857,  and  the 
power  increased  to  a  40-inch  cylinder,  and  named  the  "Broad- 
way." 

In  1850  the  "Isaac  P.  Smith"  was  built  at  Nyack  of  about 
the  same  dimensions  as  the  "Arrow"  was  originally,  but  with 
more  power.  This  vessel  run  to  Nyack  until  after  1864.  Was 
destroyed  by  fire  while  lying  at  West  Haven,  Conn.,  October 
25th,  1873. 

The  "Peter  GL  Coffin"  was  built  in  1852,  at  Keyport,  N.  J., 
and  was  near  the  same  size  as  the  "Isaac  P.  Smith,"  but  with 
less  power,  having  but  a  34-inch  cylmder  and  10  feet  stroke  of 
piston.  This  vessel  was  purchased  in  1861  and  continued  on 
the  route  under  her  original  name  until  1871,  wrhen  the  hull 
was  rebuilt  and  lengthened  20  feet,  and  the  power  of  engine 


164  HUDSON    RIVER   TOWNS. 

increased  to  a  42-inch  cylinder,  and  name  changed  to  "Alexis, ' 
and  in  1879  was  again  rebuilt  and  name  changed  to  "River- 
dale."  It  was  under  this  name  that  the  vessel  made  her  last 
trip,  for  on  August  27th,  1884,  while  on  her  way  to  Nyack  and 
but  a  mile  or  so  from  her  pier,  one  of  her  boilers  exploded,  blow 
ing  a  hole  in  the  bottom  of  the  vessel  and  causing  her  to  sink 
in  a  few  minutes,  resulting  in  the  loss  of  several  lives. 

The  "John  Faron"  run  to  Nyack  in  1858,  but  for  not  a 
great  length  of  time.  This  boat  was  built  in  1856  by  Lawrence 
&  Sneedeu,  was  147  feet  long  and  fitted  with  a  beam  engine 
36  inches  by  8  feet  stroke,  built  by  John  &  Edward  Faron,  and 
a  Blanchard  boiler  that  was  designed  to  mix  steam  and  hot 
air  for  power  with  a  view  to  economy,  but,  like  other  experi- 
ments along  the  same  line,  was  found  more  costly  than  useful, 
and  financially  ruined  one  of  the  backers  of  the  enterprise. 
The  vessel  was  partially  destroyed  by  fire  on  September  20th, 
1859,  was  subsequently  rebuilt  and  a  simple  steam  boiler 
fitted  in  the  vessel  in  place  of  the  Blanchard  boiler;  was  in  the 
employ  of  the  government  as  a  transport  during  the  war,  and 
in  1866  came  North  to  enter  the  merchant  service,  and  her 
name  changed  to  "Minnie  R.  Childs,"  and  later  to  "St.  Nich- 
olas." She  went  out  of  service  about  1885. 

From  1867  the  "Adelphi"  ("City  of  Albany")  run  on 
the  route  until  1877,  when  the  company  to  which  she  be- 
longed, having  become  financially  involved,  the  vessel  was  sold 
to  R.  Cornell  White,  of  New  York,  who  run  her  to  Norwalk, 
Conn.,  for  several  years.  While  engaged  in  that  business  on 
September  28th,  1878,  the  boiler  of  this  vessel  exploded,  while 
on  a  trip  to  New  York,  caused  by  the  want  of  proper  bracing 
to  the  boiler.  There  were  15  lives  lost  and  the  same  number 
injured.  Her  name  wras  subsequently  changed  to  "City  of  Al- 
bany," and  she  was  destroyed  by  fire  October  7th,  1894,  while 
lying  in  the  Harlem  River,  being  out  of  commission. 

After  the  "Arrow"  was  rebuilt  as  the  "Broadway"  in  1857, 
the  fates  appeared  to  be  against  her  and  her  reputation  was 
not  of  the  best.  Her  disposition  was  brought  about  by  an  ex- 
plosion of  her  boiler  on  August  5th,  1865,  when  off  Twentieth 
street,  New  York.  Fortunately,  compared  with  other  acci- 
dents of  the  line,  there  was  but  one  life  sacrificed  on  this  occa- 
sion. The  engine,  or  part  of  it,  was  placed  in  a  new  hull  con- 


HUDSON   RIVER  TOWNS.  165 

* 

structed  in  1865,  and,  when  completed,  named  "Chrystenah." 
When  the  old  company's  effects  were  disposed  of,  this  vessel 
was  sold  with  the  "Riverdale"  to  Alexander  M.  C.  Smith,  of 
New  York,  who  continued  to  run  these  vessels  on  the  Nyack 
route  until  the  "Riverdale''  was  sunk  in  1884,  since  which  time 
the  "Chrystenah"  has  been  the  only  passenger  boat  to  Nyack 
and  way  landings  to  Peekskill.  There  has  been  a  propeller 
named  "Raleigh"  in  the  freight  service. 

Prior  to  the  opening  of  the  Hudson  River  Railroad,  it  was 
claimed  that  the  railroad  could  never  maintain  the  competition 
it  must  meet  from  the  steamboats,  but  during  the  first  season 
the  road  opened  its  lower  end  an  account  was  taken  of  the 
passengers  that  left  by  the  boats  at  the  stations  below  Sing 
Sing  for  six  days  in  succession,  and  it  was  found  that  the  road 
carried  about  five-sixths  of  all  the  passengers,  though  the  fare 
was  about  40  per  cent,  greater  by  the  railroad  than  by  steam- 
boat. At  Peekskill  the  railroad  fare  was  55  cents,  and  the 
boats  first  charged  37%  cents  and  then  fell  to  25  cents,  but 
they  received  so  small  a  share  of  the  travel  that  in  a  few 
days  they  generally  abandoned  the  service  and  left  the  busi- 
ness of  transportation  of  passengers  and  freight  to  New  York 
to  the  railroad. 

The  Smith  Bros.,  who  controlled  the  water  transportation 
from  Nyack  for  many  years,  were  Isaac  P.  Smith,  David  D. 
Smith,  Abrani  S.  Smith  and  Tunis  D.  Smith.  Their  first  vessel 
was  the  "Arrow,"  and,  the  last  was  the  "Chrystenah,"  covering 
a  period  of  over  forty  years  in  catering  to  the  public  travel 
from  that  landing. 

NEW  YORK  TO  PIERMONT,  N.  Y.,  N.  Y.  AND  ERIE  R.  R. 

The  New  York  and  Erie  R.  R.  was  opened  for  passenger 
travel  as  far  as  Goshen,  N.  Y.,  on  September  21st,  1841,  to  Port 
Jervis,  in  January,  1848,  and  to  Dunkirk,  N.  Y.,  on  Lake  Erie, 
June  15,  1851.  The  affairs  of  the  company  had  passed  through 
more  than  one  crisis  in  that  time,  and  had  been  under  the 
management  of  three  or  more  different  interests  during  that 
period.  The  water  service  of  the  company  at  the  eastern 
terminus  of  the  road  was  performed  for  the  first  year  or  two 
by  the  Nyack  steamboat  "Arrow"  stopping  at  Piermont  for 
passengers,  and  in  1843  we  find  the  "Robert  L.  Stevens"  had 
been  taken  from  the  Saugerties  route  and  was  in  the  service 


166  HUDSON   RIVER   TOWNS. 

of  the  Erie  Railroad  Company.  The  freight  for  the  railroad 
was  loaded  on  barges  that  were  towred  by  the  passenger  steam- 
boats to  Piermont.  In  1844,  the  "Eureka,"  built  in  1840,  of  400 
tons,  was  in  the  employ  of  the  company,  and  in  1845  and  again 
in  1847  the  "St.  Nicholas,"  a  vessel  built  in  the  former  year,  of 
180  feet  long  and  a  fairly  good  boat  for  speed  was  also  on  the 
route.  The  "Santa  Glaus"  was  also  chartered  by  the  company 
for  a  time,  but  not  long,  as  she  could  not  be  spared  from  the 
excitement  due  to  the  opposition  on  the  Albany  through  lines. 
In  1846,  the  "Arrow"  was  stopping  again  at  Piermont  for  pas- 
sengers. In  1848,  the  "New  Haven,"  one  of  Commodore  Vander- 
bilt's  old  Long  Island  Sound  steamboats,  was  in  the  employ  of 
the  company.  In  1849,  the  "Erie"  x  "Iron  Witch,"  the  prop- 
erty of  M.  O.  Roberts  and  others,  the  former  at  a  later  period  one 
of  the  directors  in  the  railroad  company,  was  running  as  a 
passenger  boat.  In  April,  of  the  same  year,  the  "Thomas 
Powell"  was  bought  by  the  company  and  the  next  summer 
was  running  with  the  "Erie,'  'and  this  continued  until  April, 
1851,  the  former  being  subsequently  sold  and  taken  to  the 
Delaware  River.  The  "Erie"  then  continued  the  passenger 
service  alone  until  the  "Francis  Skiddy,"  in  November,  1853, 
was  also  placed  on  the  route,  having  been  most  elegantly  fitted 
up  for  the  purpose  of  attracting  travel  by  that  line,  as  the 
competition  for  the  through  travel  to  the  West  with  the  rail- 
roads forming  the  line  from  Albany  to  Buffalo  at  this  time 
was  very  sharp.  The  "Francis  Skiddy"  did  not  remain  on  this 
route  after  June,  1854,  the  controlling  interest  in  the  vessel 
having  changed  hands.  The  "Erie"  was  then  the  only  passen- 
ger steamboat  on  the  Hudson  River  in  the  service  of  the  com- 
pany up  to  the  time  the  trains  run  into  Pavonia.  The  "New 
Haven"  run  all  this  time  in  transfer  of  freight,  but  occasionally 
for  passengers. 

The  New  York  and  Lake  Erie  R.  R.  Co.,  being  lessees  of  the 
Long  Dock  Company,  obtained  control  of  the  charter  for  the 
Pavonia  ferry  that  was  incorporated  in  1849,  and  opened  the 
ferry  to  Chamber  street  for  travel,  May  1st,  1861,  with  two 
ferryboats  from  Williamsburg  ferry  that  they  purchased  in 
May  and  July,  1861.  They  were  the  "Niagara"  and  the  "Ona- 
laska,"  each  being  130'x32'xll'.  The  ferry  to  Twenty-third 
street,  New  York,  was  opened  May,  1868. 


CHAPTER    III. 

NEW   JERSEY. 

NEW    BRUNSWICK    AND    AMBOY. 

HEN  Fulton  and  Livingston  obtained  (he  monop- 
oly of  the  waters  of  the  State  of  New  York  they 
held  control  of  all  the  transportation  by  steam 
vessels  from  the  adjoining  States  into  the  waters 
of  New  York  State.  Then  the  steamboat  con- 
troversy commenced.  It  was  on  the  route  from  Elizabethtown 
to  New  York  where  the  contest  first  took  shape,  but  was  later 
carried  into  effect  on  the  New  Brunswick  route. 

YThe  first  steamboat  that  was  in  operation  in  New  York 
waters  after  the  "Clermont"  was  the  "Raritan,"  built  for 
John  R.  and  Robert  J.  Livingston,  by  Charles  Brown,  builder 
of  the  "Clermont."  This  does  not  take  account  of  the 
"Phenix,"  for  a  few  weeks,  in  1809.  The  "Raritan"  was  con- 
structed in  1808-9,  and  run  from  New  York  to  landings  on 
the  Raritan  River,  making  connection  at  New  Brunswick  by 
stages  to  Trenton,  there  connecting  with  the  "Phenix,''  that 
run  from  Trenton  to  Philadelphia.  The  latter  city  at  this 
time  was  one  of  much  importance,  both  commercially  and 
politically,  and  the  new  line  had  good  prospects  for  the 
travel  between  New  York  aBdNtiiat  city.y 

The  enrolment  of  the  "I^aritan"  at  New  York  Custom 
House  is  No.  174,  of  July  6th(  1809,  in  the  names  of  John  R. 
Livingston  and  Robert  J.  Livingston,  both  of  New  York. 
Builder,  Charles  Brown.  The  dimensions  were,  "length  124 
feet,  breadth  21  feet,  depth  6  feet  8  inches,  and  of  163  93/95 
tons;  square-sterned  steamboat,  has  a  round  tuck,  no  quarter 
galleries,  and  an  eagle  figure-head." 

)(  The  vessel  began  her  service  on  June  8t&;  1809^  and  made 

the  trip  from  New  York  to^Amboy  in  4  hours. m  Ladings  w^re* 

"made  at  Elizabethtown,  Amboy  and  New  Brunswick.     The 

passenger  fare  was  4  shillings  tcTthe  forfiaer  landingTs  shill- 


168  NEW    JERSEY. 

ings  to  Amboy,  and  12  shillings  to  New  Brunswick.  Three 
round  trips  were  made  a  week>£  This  vessel  was  not  so  large 
as  the  "Clermont,"  but  had  some  improvements  in  construction 
and  fittings  over  the  latter,  and  cost  twenty-six  thousand 
dollars.  She  was  on  this  route  as  late  as  1818,  for  in  that 
year  it  is  found  the  front  head  of  the  boiler  blew  out  from 
weakness  of  the  braces  and  scalded  the  engineer  so  badly 
that  he  died  from  his  injuries.  This  is  the  vessel  that  Aaron 
Ogden  tried  to  drive,  in  1814,  from  the  waters  of  New  Jersey 
by  legal  proceedings,  because  Fulton  and  his  associates  would 
not  permit  him  to  run  his  steamboat  in  New  York  waters. 
The  monopoly  also  had  the  "Olive  Branch,"  in  1818,  on  this 
route,  a  vessel  larger  than  the  "Baritan."  She  run  here 
until  1822,  when  taken  to  the  Hudson  Biver  for  service. 

One  of  the  through  stage  lines  advertised  as  follows  re- 
garding the  steamboats  of  this  period:  "The  steamboat,  or 
rather  "smoak"  boat  advertises  to  travel  more  expeditiously 
than  any  line  except  the  mail.  We  therefore  beg  leave  to 
inform  the  public  that  they  leave  New  York  before  we  do,  and 
do  not  arrive  in  Philadelphia  until  our  passengers  have  had 
a  comfortable  refreshment,  if  then;  and  the  fare  and  the  ex- 
penses on  the  road  are  nearly  double  to  ours.  We  do  not 
do  this  to  injure  their  establishment,  only  to  make  them  stick 
to  the  truth." 

Another  advertiser  tries  the  poetical  strain: 

"Since  steamboats  are  no  more  the  rage, 

We'll  introduce  our  new  mail  stage; 

As  going  by  steam  is  out  of  date, 

Pray  take  your  seats  ere  'tis  too  late." 
Wonder  what  that  stage  owner  would  think  of  the  trolley 
cars  of  this  period?    We  just  begin  at  this  late  day  to  think 
steam  is  out  of  date  in  some  applications. 

^fhe  steamboat  "Atalanta,"  belonging  to  Aaron  Ogden, 
ran  to  Elizabethtown,  in  connection  with  a  line  of  stages  to 
Philadelphia,  as  an  opposition  line,  for  a  few  years. 

In  1818,  Thomas  Gibbons  entered  the  field  with  the  "Bel- 
lona"  and  the  "Atalanta.7^  It  was  at  this  time  that  Cornelius 
Vanderbilt  began  his  steamboat  career.  He  had  for  several 
years  before  this  been  running  small  sailing  vessels,  called 
periaugers,  between  New  York  and  Staten  Island  on  his  own 


NEW    JERSEY.  169 

account.  The  first  periauger  enrolled  at  New  York  in  the 
name  of  Cornelius  Vanderbilt  was  the  "Dread,"  on  January 
24th,  1816,  of  49'xl4'5x4'4.  Builder,  James  Day  ,  of  Norwich, 
Conn.  The  next  was  the  "Governor  Wolcott,"  in  July,  1817,  be- 
ing 49'xl3'x4',  by  the  same  builder;  and  the  "General  Arm- 
strong," on  July  1st,  1818,  by  the  same  builder,  with  dimen- 
sions of  50'xl3'x4'6. 

Cornelius  Vanderbilt  was  made  captain  of  the  "Bellona," 
and  subsequently  was  superintendent  of  the  line  until  Gibbons 
disposed  of  his  interest  in  the  line  to  the  Stevens  brothers. 
During  the  early  days  of  the  opposition,  Gibbons,  to  get  around 
an  injunction  that  was  placed  on  his  boats  running  in  New 
York  waters,  run  them  to  the  mouth  of  the  "Kills,"  and  there 
exchanged  passengers  to  a  ferryboat  that  ran  from  New  York 
to  Staten  Island.  He  was  enjoined  at  a  later  date,  and  his 
boats  now  made  landings  at  the  Hackensack  bridge,  just  west 
of  Jersey  City  Heights,  his  passengers  from  New  Brunswick 
and  way  landings  being  transferred  to  stages  that  ran  to 
Paulus  Hook  ferry,  to  New  York.  These  makeshifts  did  not 
last  very  long  at  any  one  time.  At  one  time  he  got  so  bold 
as  to  run  direct  to  New  York  City,  but  that  was  soon  stopped. 
All  this  time  the  main  law  suit  was  moving  on,  and  it  kept  the 
opposition  thinking  all  the  time  how  to  land  their  passengers 
in  New  York  City  with  the  least  inconvenience.  Vanderbilt 
with  his  perseverance  and  dash,  and  Gibbons  with  his  dogged 
obstinac}7,  made  a  pretty  hard  pair  to  overcome  as  an  opposi- 
tion^ In  1820,  they  announced:  ^The  Old  Union  line  via  New 
Brunswick,  Princeton,  Trenton,  and  Bristol,  35  miles  land 
carriage.  Fare  through,  f 5.00.  The  Vice-President's  steam- 
boat 'Nautilus,'  will  leave  New  York  every  day — Sundays  /; 
excepted — from  Whitehall  wharf  at  11  a,  m.,  for  Staten  Island. 
From  here  the  passengers  will  be  received  into  the  superior 
and  fast-sailing  steamboat  'Bellona,'  Captain  Vanderbilt,  for 
New  Brunswick,  from  whence  in  post  chaises  to  Trenton, 
where  they  lodge,  and  arrive  next  morning  at  10  o'clock  in 
Philadelphia  by  the  commodious  and  fast-sailing  steamboat 
'Philadelphia,'  Capt.  Jenkins,  in  time  to  take  the  Old  Union 
line  Baltimore  steamboat."^ 

John  Stevens  had  all  this  time  been  running  the  "Phenix," 
and  later  the  "Philadelphia,"  on  the  Delaware  River  in  connec- 


170  NEW   JERSEY. 

tion  with  the  "Baritan,"  and  later  the  "Olive  Branch,"  but  in 
1820  the  Old  Union  line  formed,  and  Gibbons'  line  to  Baritan 
Biver,  making  connections  through  the  stage  line  to  Trenton 
with  the  "Philadelphia"  of  Stevens'  line.  The  connecting 
stage  lines  were  a  part  of  the  Old  Union  line.  It  will  thus 
be  seen  that  the  Monopoly  and  Stevens'  connection  had  been 
broken.  The  "Olive  Branch"  now  run  in  connection  with 
the  "Etna"  and  the  "Pennsylvania"  on  the  Delaware  Biver 
as  the  Columbian  Steamboat  line,  and  a  merry  war  was  in- 
augurated that  continued  until  the  withdrawal  of  the  Old 
line.  There  was  toward  the  last  another  opposition  line  in 
the  fray,  to  make  it  more  interesting.  Whether  that  was 
a  Gibbons  and  Vanderbilt  move  to  hasten  the  departure  of 
the  Old  line  there  is  no  telling.  Vanderbilt  was  good  at  it 
in  later  years.  The  principal  lines  were  both  backed  by  men 
of  ample  capital  for  the  enterprise,  and  the  business  was 
carried  on  with  a  spirit  to  drive  off  all  opposition,  but  they 
all  fought  with  a  grim  determination  to  the  end. 

After  the  decision  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States  in  1824,  the  service  on  both  rivers  was  much  improved 
by  the  addition  of  more  modern  and  larger  vessels,  so  that 
when  the  Gibbons'  interest  was  acquired  by  the  Stevens  broth- 
ers they  had  a  good  fleet  of  vessels  for  the  service  at  that 
day.  Gibbons  had  built  the  "Thistle"  in  1824  and  the  "Swan" 
in  1826. 

After  Gibbons  had  withdrawn  from  the  line,\Vanderbilt, 
in  1829,  placed  an  opposition  boat  on  the  New  Brunswick 
route  named  "Citizen,"  against  the  Old  Union  line,  and  gave 
them  a  lively  time  for  a  year,  cutting  down  the  through  fare 
from  $4.00  to  $2.00,  that  was  met  by  the  regular  line  at  $1.25.) 
He  advertised  at  the  time:  "Travelers  by  the  Despatch  line 
can  be  comfortably  accommodated,  avoiding  the  pressure  of 
•a  crowd  of  ten-shilling  passengers."  This  is  altogether  prob- 
able the  first  of  his  steamboat  enterprises  on  his  own  account. 
He  was  now  thirty-five  years  of  age.  About  1830  he  came 
into  possession  of  the  steamboat  "Bellona,"  that  he  command- 
ed while  in  the  Old  Union  line.  The  model  of  this  vessel  is  in 
one  of  the  offices  of  the  Grand  Central  depot  of  the  New  York 
Central  B.  B.  Company  at  New  York  City.  The  vessel  was 
102  feet  over  all,  22  feet  11  inches  beam  and  7  feet  bold. 


NEW   JERSEY.  171 

Amboy  had  been  used  as  a  terminal  by  none  of  the 
lines  permanently  up  to  1830,  except  the  Monopoly  line  used 
it  for  a  short  time  as  a  trial  for  an  advantage  when  hard 
pressed  by  the  outsiders.  Then  they  made  their  connections 
by  the  way  of  Bordentown. 

^The  Union  line,  that  had  obtained  control  of  all  opposi- 
tion lines  in  1830,  was  merged  into  the  Camden  and  Amboy 
R.  R.  Company  soon  after  its  organization.  The  railroad  was 
opened  for  travel  in  1832,  but  prior  to  this  the  boats  had 
been  running  to  Amboy.  -^Subsequently,  the  "Independence," 
that  had  been  in  the  passenger  business  on  the  Hudson  River, 
was  bought  and  rebuilt  for  this  route,  and  was  followed  by 
the  "New  Philadelphia"  for  a  time.  This  latter  vessel  was 
the  one  Robert  L.  Stevens  made  so  many  experiments  on, 
both  with  hull  and  engine.  There  was  also  the  "Napoleon," 
a  boat  of  130  feet  keel,  that  during  her  whole  career  was 
always  in  the  thick  of  a  tumult  of  opposition.  The  owners 
always  seemed  to  be  looking  for  business,  and  generally 
found  it. 

The  "Antelope"  commenced  running  to  New  Brunswick 
in  August,  1847,  and  at  a  later  date,  having  been  sold  and 
sent  to  the  Pacific  coast,  her  original  owners  had  the  "Rein- 
deer" built  for  the  New  York  and  Raritan  River  service. 
She  run  here  but  a  few  trips,  and  for  a  few  months  from 
New  York  to  New  Haven,  Conn.,  and  during  the  next  year  was 
on  the  Hudson  River,  where  she  remained  until  destroyed  by 
fire. 

During  the  early  fifties  the  "Trenton"  left  New  York  at 
10  a.  m.  for  Amboy,  cars  to  Bordentown,  thence  by  "Richard 
Stockton"  to  Philadelphia.  Express  service  by  "John  Potter" 
at  2  p.  m.  for  Amboy,  thence  to  Camden  by  rail.  Through 
fare,  |3.00. 

The  "John  Neilson,"  built  in  1849,  by  the  Stevens  brothers, 
also  run  to  Amboy  and  New  Brunswick.  This  boat  was  an 
experiment  for  the  purpose  of  testing  by  blowing  engines 
to  drive  a  current  of  air  in  two  channels  under  the  hull  of 
the  vessel,  hoping  thereby  to  reduce  the  frictional  surface  of 
the  wetted  skin  of  the  hull,  lessen  the  draft  of  water,  and  to 
increase  the  speed.  The  stern  of  the  vessel  was  built  similar 
to  that  of  a  scow.  The  effect  of  driving  the  air  under  the  hull 


172  NEW   JERSEY. 

while  under  way,  with  the  bad  model  of  the  vessel,  was  to 
make  a  great  swell  and  commotion  of  the  water  and  to 
cause  the  washing  of  small  boats  on  shore  and  throwing  of 
high  waves  over  the  ends  of  'the  piers,  so  great  was  the 
force  imparted  to  the  water.  It  is  believed  the  shape  of  the 
\essel  under  water  was  responsible  for  part  of  this  commo- 
tion. No  permanent  benefit  seems  to  have  been  gained  from 
this  experiment.  The  null  of  the  vessel  has  been  in  service 
for  many  years  as  an  excursion  barge. 

In  1852,  the  "Richard  Stockton"  was  built  by  the  Harlan 
&  Rolling-worth  Co.,  and  was  one  of  the  early  iron-hull 
river  steamboats  of  large  size.  She  had  a  beam  engine  48"xl2'. 
After  running  for  a  time  on  the  Delaware  end  of  the  line  was 
brought  around  to  run  to  Amboy,  being  the  property  of  the 
Camden  and  Amboy  B.  R.  Company.  This  vessel  run  here 
for  many  years,  and  was  one  of  more  than  average  high 
speed.  Her  paddle  wheels  were  of  iron,  with  iron  buckets 
about  13  feet  long.  About  1875  the  vessel  was  placed  in 
the  excursion  business,  for  the  passenger  line  to  Amboy  had 
now  been  withdrawn.  In  1893,  the  vessel  was  given  in  part 
payment  for  a  vessel  built  by  John  Dialogue,  of  Camden,  N.  J., 
for  the  Pennsylvania  Rw  R.  Company. 

In  1865,  the  'William  Cook"  was  built  and  fitted  with 
the  "John  Neilson's"  engine.  This  vessel  was  constructed 
expressly  for  the  Long  Branch  service,  and  was  intended  to 
be  of  high  speed,  but  it  is  doubtful  if,  in  the  long  run,  she  ob- 
tained as  good  an  average  as  the  "Richard  Stockton."  The 
frame  of  this  vessel  was  of  very  light  timber.  About  1874 
she  was  sold  to  Thomas  Cornell  for  a  milk  route  from 
Rondout,  and  was  worn  out  in  that  service.  The  "Trenton" 
was  retired  in  October,  1865,  and  "John  Neil  son"  in  November, 
1865. 

The  Camden  and  Amboy  R.  R.  Company  and  the  Delaware 
and  Raritan  Canal  Company  both  received  their  charters  from 
the  State  of  New  Jersey  on  February  4th,  1830,  and  were 
at  first  controlled  by  rival  interests.  Prior  to  the  formation 
of  these  companies  and  during  the  public  discussion  of  the 
prospective  building  of  the  railroad  and  the  canal  across 
the  State,  the  canal  interests  were  aided  by  the  People's  line 


.      NEW   JERSEY.  173 

AS  well  as  other  opposition  lines  of  steamboats  on  the  Dela- 
ware River,  on  account  of  the  railroad  interests  being  in  the 
same  hands  as  controlled  the  Union  line  of  steamboats  on 
the  Delaware  River.  When  the  promoters  of  the  railroad 
showed  a  bold  front  and  a  purpose  to  obtain  a  charter  to 
construct  the  road,  the  opposition  raised  the  cry  of  "a  monop- 
oly in  transportation  across  the  State"  held  by  the  Union 
line.  But  this  soon  died  out,  and  the  companies  were  sub- 
sequently united  under  the  so-called  "Marriage  Act"  of  Feb 
ruary  15th,  1831. 

The  canal  charter  was  for  a  period  of  fifty  years,  and 
contained  a  provision  "that  no  canal  should  be  constructed 
within  five  miles  of  the  canal  and  feeder  without  the  consent 
of  the  company."  There  was  also  a  provision  in  the  railroad 
charter,  that  was  for  thirty  years,  "that  the  State  should  not 
authorize  the  construction  of  any  other  railroad  across  the 
State  from  New  York  to  Philadelphia  which  shall  commence 
and  terminate  within  three  miles  of  the  commencement  and 
termination  of  the  road  authorized  by  this  act."  This 
monopoly  or  exclusive  privilege  was  not  included  in  the  orig- 
inal charter  granted  in  1830  to  the  railroad,  but  was  subse- 
quently obtained  when  the  State  became  interested  in  the 
railroad,  and  by  an  agreement  on  the  part  of  the  railroad 
corporation  to  pay  in  lieu  of  taxes  to  the  State  ten  cents  for 
each  passenger  passing  over  the  State  on  their  railroad,  and 
fifteen  cents  a  ton  for  all  merchandise  transported  by  them. 
These  charges  were  not  to  be  paid  until  the  railroad  was 
earning  dividends  on  its  operation.  The  State  thus  became 
an  interested  party  in  the  successful  operation  of  the  railroad 
that  was  for  several  years  an  important  link  in  passenger  and 
freight  transportation  between  Washington  and  Philadel- 
phia; on  the  south,  and  New  York  and  the  Eastern  States 
on  the  north.  .Its  income  from  all  foreigners  (residents  of 
other  States)  passing  over  the  road,  through  the  excessive 
passenger  rates  charged,  as  well  as  the  high  freight  charges 
demanded  by  the  railroad,  was  a  matter  of  no  small  moment 
for  the  State  Treasury  for  a  long  period  of  years.  For 
many  years  the  power  of  these  companies  in  the  politics  of 
the  State  was  a  matter  of  national  reputation.  Fulton's 
monopoly  of  the  waters  of  the  State  of  New  York  would 


174  NEW   JERSEY. 

appear  to  have  been  more  equitable  than  the  privilege  granted 
to  this  railroad  across  the  land  of  the  State. 

>/The  railroad  was  completed  from  South  Arnboy  to  Bor- 
dentown in  December,  1832,  and  to  Camden  in  1834.  The 
canal  was  completed  in  1838.X 

The  first  board  of  directors  of  the  Camden  and  Amboy 
R.  B.  Company  included  Robert  L.  Stevens  and  Edwin  A. 
Stevens,  of  Hoboken,  N.  J. ;  J.  H.  Sloan,  of  Camden ;  Abraham 
Brown,  of  Mount  Holly;  William  McKnight,  of  Bordentown; 
William  I.  Watson,  of  Philadelphia;  and  Benj.  Fish,  of 
Trenton.  Those  of  the  Delaware  and  Raritan  Canal  Company 
were  James  Neilson,  of  New  Brunswick;  James  Parker,  of 
Perth  Amboy;  William  Halstead,  of  Trenton;  G.  D.  Wall 
and  James  Mcllvaine,  of  Burlington;  James  S.  Green,  of 
Princeton;  with  Robert  F.  Stockton,  of  Princeton,  as  President. 

Prior  to  the  expiration  of  the  original  charter  of  the 
railroad  they  obtained  an  extension  of  their  original  grant 
to  January  1st,  1860.  In  1867,  the  New  Jersey  R.  R.  and 
Transportation  Company,  running  from  Jersey  City  to  Tren- 
ton, was  consolidated  with  the  above  companies  under  the 
title  of  "The  United  N.  J.  R.  R.  and  Canal  Co.,"  and  in  May, 
1871,  the  railroad  and  canal  were  all  leased  to  the  Pennsyl- 
vania R.  R.  Co.  for  999  years.  These  original  companies  were 
almost  wholly  owned  and  controlled  by  residents  of  the  State 
of  New  Jersey. 

The  last  passenger  service  by  boat  to  South  Amboy  was 
by  the  "William  Cook,"  making  one  trip  daily  in  connection 
with  a  way  train  to  Philadelphia  as  late  as  July,  1872.  The 
"John  Potter"  and  the  "Joseph  Belknap"  run  as  passenger 
and  freight  boats,  and  the  "Transport,"  "Amboy,"  and  "New 
Philadelphia"  as  freight  boats. 

There  wrere  several  large  side- wheel  tow  boats  of  the 
Camden  and  Amboy  R.  R.  Co.,  at  this  period,  that  were  built 
expressly  most  of  them  for  the  purpose  of  towing  the  freight 
barges  and  carrying  freight  themselves,  and  among  the  fleet 
were  the  "Princeton,"  "Bordentown,"  "Weehawken,"  and  "New 
Philadelphia."  The  distinguishing  feature  of  these  vessels 
were  the  enormous  wheel  houses  they  had,  in  fact,  it  seemed 
as  though  the  "Princeton"  was  all  a  wheel  house,  her  wrater 
wheels  being  each  40  feet  in  diameter.  These  boats  were 


NEW   JERSEY.  1?5 

about  180  feet  long,  and  had  beam  engines,  54  inches  by  10 
feet,  excepting  the  "Princeton." 

Of  late  years  there  has  been  running  to  New  Brunswick 
the  "G.  T.  Olyphant,"  and  in  1877  the  "Wyoming,"  that  had 
formerly  run  to  Elizabethport  in  connection  with  the  New 
Jersey  Central  K.  R.  This  boat  was  laid  aside  in  1880  and  the 
engine  placed  in  a  new  hull  named  "New  Brunswick."  The 
latter  vessel  was  destroyed  'by  fire  in  the  Raritan  River  on 
August  7th,  1902. 

KEYPORT. 

The  communication  between  New  York  and  Keyport  by 
steamboat  was  opened  in  1836,  by  the  steamboat  "Monrnouth," 
belonging  to  the  Steamboat  Company  of  Middletown  Point, 
built  in  that  year  at  Baltimore,  Md.,  by  Rogers,  Brown  &  Cully, 
who  built  the  steamship  "Natchez"  about  that  time.  The  "Mon- 
mouth"  was  124'xl8'6x8'7,  and  fitted  with  a  square  engine.  The 
vessel  run  here  for  a  few  years  aiid  was  followed  by  the 
"Hope,"  a  smaller  vessel  with  same  type  of  engine,  then  by 
the  "Rockland,"  built  in  1830,  and  in  1848  by  the  "Joseph  E. 
Coffee"  for  about  two  years.  Afterwards,  the  "John  Hart," 
the  "Ocean  Wave,"  and  the  "Golden  Gate"  run  at  various 
periods  until  1853  or  1854.  The  "Chingarora,"  the  largest  ves- 
sel that  had  run  on  this  route  up  to  1850,  was  in  service  here 
for  a  time,  was  then  sent  south,  where  she  was  destroyed  by 
fire;  was  sold  in  March,  1851,  to  run  between  Mobile  and  New 
Orleans.  The  engine  was  brought  to  New  York  and  put  in  the 
"Keyport"  when  .built  in  1853.  At  this  time  Keyport  began 
to  develop  mainly  through  the  construction  of  the  Florence 
&  Keyport  plank  road:  and  another  important  factor  was  the 
monopoly  held  by  the  Camden  &  Amboy  R.  R.  Co.,  of  the  rail- 
road transportation  across  the  State  of  New  Jersey. 

In  1853,  the  Keyport  &  Middletown  Steamboat  Co.  was  or- 
ganized, and  during  that  year  the  "Keyport"  was  constructed 
for  them  at  that  place.  This  vessel  run  here  until  chartered 
for  a  despatch  boat  on  the  Potomac  River,  in  1862,  by  the  Army 
Department,  and  was  shortly  after  sold  to  the  Potomac  Steam- 
boat Co.,  who  had  her  under  charter  several  times  during  the 
Civil  War.  Subsequently,  the  vessel  was  brought  back  to  New 
York  waters,  and  in  1885  her  name  was  changed  to  "James  T. 


176  NEW    JERSEY. 

Brett,"  and  for  many  years  has  been  running  on  the  lower 
Hudson.  The  "Keyport"  commenced  running  in  1853,  and 
with  the  "John  Hart"  and  the  "Eagle"  for  a  time,  there  were 
ample  accommodations  for  the  landing,  with  three  boats  daily, 
during  which  time  passenger  fare  fell  to  as  low  as  twelve  and 
one-half  cents.  The  "Armenia"  run  a  portion  of  this  season  as 
a  morning  boat  from  New  York  by  the  way  of  the  "Kills." 

In  1862,  the  "Matteawan"  was  built  for  the  same  company 
and  continued  on  the  route  until  1880,  when  sold  to  J.  H. 
Starin,  when  the  old  company  retired  from  business,  as  the 
railroad  had  cut  into  the  business  so  much.  The  "Minnie  Cor- 
nell" was  built  during  the  same  year  at  Athens,  N.  Y.,  for 
Joseph  Cornell,  of  Rondout,  N.  Y.,  and  fitted  with  an  engine 
taken  from  the  "New  Champion,"  that  had  been  on  the  Hudson 
River.  This  vessel  run  on  the  route  until  destroyed  by  fire  at 
Keyport,  on  March  27th,  1893.  Since  then  the  "Magenta"  has 
served  the  route  for  a  portion  of  the  time. 

After  the  "Keyport"  went  to  the  Potomac  Eiver,  and  be- 
fore the  "Matteawan"  was  completed,  the  "D.  R.  Martin"  and 
the  "T.  V.  Arrowsmith,"  at  different  times,  filled  her  place. 
The  "Keyport"  and  the  "Matteawan"  were  both,  when  on  this 
route,  very  able  boats,  and  it  is  very  doubtful  if  there  was  any 
steamboat  during  the  period  they  run  through  the  Narrows 
that  was  able  to  cope  with  them,  unless  it  might  have  been  at 
one  time  the  "William  Cook,"  or  the  "Jesse  Hoyt." 

There  has  been  running  from  Matteawan,  that  is  a  short 
distance  from  Keyport,  a  line  of  freight  propellers  for  many 
years. 

"Keyport,"  184'x28'6x8' ;  beam  engine,  40"xl2'. 

"Matteawan,"  206'x27'8xlO';  beam  engine,  44"xl2'. 

"D.  R.  Martin,"  207'x31'x9';  beam  engine,  53"xlO'. 

"T.  V.  Arrowsmith,"  201'x28'6x8'7;  beam  engine,  44"xlO'. 


SANDY  HOOK  LINE  OP  THE  NEW  JERSEY  CENTRAL  RAILROAD. 

The  present  line  running  to  the  Atlantic  Highlands  was 
the  outcome  of  the  building  of  the  Raritan  and  Delaware  Bay 
R.  R.,  or,  as  later  known,  the  New  Jersey  Southern  R.  R.  This 
road  was  started  in  1860,  by  the  construction  of  five  miles  of 
the  road  from  Port  Monmouth,  on  the  shore  of  Sandy  Hook 


NEW    JERSEY.  177 

Bay,  about  midway  between  Keyport  and  the  Highlands.  Be- 
fore the  construction  of  the  railroad,  a  wharf  had  been  built 
at  Port  Moumouth,  arid  a  steamboat  named  the  "Eagle,"  and 
a  propeller  named  the  "Argus"  had  run  to  New  York.  After 
the  railroad  had  begun  operations,  the  "Alice  Price,"  that  had 
been  running  to  Bed  Bank,  was  run  in  connection  with  the 
railroad  to  New  York  until  September  of  that  year,  when  the 
"Taminend"  took  her  place  until  the  following  summer;  then 
the  "Naushon,"  followed  by  the  "Aurora,"  continued  the  ser- 
vice until  the  "Thomas  Collyer"  x  "Antelope,"  and  later 
"Twilight,"  began  running  on  the  route  that  ended  during  the 
latter  part  of  the  year  1862.  In  1863,  the  "Jesse  Hoyt,"  that 
had  just  come  from  the  New  York  and  Glen  Cove  route  and 
had  her  name  changed  to  "J.  D.  Beers,"  and  shortly  after 
changed  to  the  original  name,  commenced  running  in  connec- 
tion with  the  railroad,  and,  up  to  the  time  of  the  removal  of 
the  termini  of  the  railroad  to  Sandy  Hook,  had  as  consorts  on 
the  line,  at  various  times,  the  "Wyoming,"  the  "Magenta,"  the 
"Neversink,"  the  "Nelly  White,"  the  "Josephine,"  and  some 
others.  The  "Jesse  Hoyt"  was  one  of  the  few  boats  not  on  the 
Hudson  River  that  had  her  engine  placed  in  the  vessel  with 
the  shaft  forward  of  the  cylinder,  though  she  was  originally 
built  for  the  upper  Hudson  River  route.  In  1862,  seventy-three 
miles  of  railroad  had  been  constructed  to  extend  from  the  Port 
Monmouth  branch. 

In  1864,  the  Camden  &  Amboy  R.  R.  Company  still  having 
the  monopoly  in  carrying  passengers  and  freight  across  the 
State  of  New  Jersey,  compelled  the  Raritan  &  Delaware  Bay 
R.  R.  Company  to  change  their  termini  from  New  York  to 
Brooklyn,  in  running  in  connection  with  through  trains  to 
Philadelphia.  The  fare  was  reduced  from  New  York  or  Brook- 
lyn to  Philadelphia  to  two  dollars  for  several  months.  The 
purpose  was  to  stop  the  boats  making  a  connection  to  the 
lower  New  Jersey  points.  But  the  boats  still  run  and  made  the 
connection  with  the  railroad. 

When  the  New  Jersey  Southern  R.  R.  Company  was  or- 
ganized out  of  the  Raritan  and  Delaware  Bay  R.  R.  Company, 
in  3869,  and  had  purchased  the  Long  Branch  and  Sea  Shore 
R.  R.  from  the  Edwin  A.  Stevens  estate,  the  latter  road  was 
extended  from  Spermaceti  Cove  to  a  deep  water  termini  at 


178  NEW  JERSEY. 


the  Horse  Shoe  on  Sandy  Hook.  The  original  owners  of  the 
Long  Branch  and  Sea  Shore  R.  B.  had  built  and  run  the  "Will- 
iam Cook,"  and  at  times  the  "Richard  Stockton"  and  "River 
Queen"  from  New  York  to  the  termini  of  the  railroad  for  about 
four  years  prior  to  its  sale. 

When  the  terminus  at  Sandy  Hook  was  ready  for  use  in 
June,  1870.  James  Fisk,  Jr.,  who  was  the  controlling  spirit  in 
the  Narragansett  Steamship  Company,  and  was  one  of  the 
principals  in  its  organization,  and  was  the  means  of  the  ab- 
sorption of  the  Fall  River  line  at  that  date,  had  the  "Plymouth 
Rock,"  "Metropolis"  and  "Empire  State"  and  some  others  on 
his  hands  as  idle  boats.  He  made  an  arrangement  with  the 
New  Jersey  Southern  R.  R.  Co.  to  cover  the  water  service  of 
the  route  and  fitted  out  the  "Plymouth  Rock"  in  elaborate 
style  for  the  passenger  travel,  and  razeed  the  upper  works 
of  the  "Metropolis"  and  laid  tracks  on  her  deck  to  transfer 
freight  cars.  These  boats,  with  the  "Jesse  Hoyt"  and  the 
'•Long  Branch"  x  "Sleepy  Hollow,"  performed  the  service 
under  the  Fisk  and  Gould  management  for  three  years  and 
eight  months,  when  Fisk  having  died,  the  line  was  abandoned. 

From  early  in  1874  until  1879  the  New  Jersey  Southern 
R.  R.  and  Steamboat  line  was  operated  by  the  trustee  of  the 
first  mortgage  bondholders,  ex-Chancellor  Benj.  Williamson, 
with  William  S.  Sneden  as  general  manager.  The  steamboats 
operated  during  this  period  were  the  "Jesse  Hoyt,"  continuous- 
ly, the  "River  Belle"  in  1874,  until  destroyed  by  fire  at  her 
dock  in  New  York  on  September  3d  —  the  hull  is  now  the  barge 
of  the  St.  John's  Guild,  of  New  York—  the  "Jane  Moseley"  in 
1874  and  1875,  with  the  "Day  Star"  in  the  latter  year,  and  the 
"Crystal  Wave"  in  1875,  1876  and  1878,  and  the  "Empire  State" 
in  1877.  The  "Jane  Moseley"  was  built  by  Lawrence  &  Foulks 
in  1873,  for  the  Long  Island  R.  R.  Co.,  to  run  from  Greenport 
to  Newport  as  a  connecting  link  of  a  through  line  from  New 
York  to  the  Eastern  States,  but  it  was  abandoned  after  a  short 
time.  The  "River  Belle,"  the  "Day  Star"  and  the  "Crystal  Wave" 
belonged  to  the  American  Steamboat  Co.  of  Providence,  R.  L 
They  were  all  boats  of  over  200  feet  long,  good  accommoda- 
tions and  with  ample  engine  power.  The  "Plymouth  Rock" 
was  taken  to  Boston,  Mass.,  in  September,  1886,  and  broken 
up  as  old  junk. 


NEW  JERSEY.  179 

After  the  New  Jersey  Southern  R.  B.  passed  under  the, 
control  of  the  Central  R.  R.  Co.  of  New  Jersey  in  1879,  the  lat- 
ter company  refitted  one  of  their  large  ferryboats,  the  "Kill 
Von  Kull,"  in  good  style,  to  run  on  the  Sandy  Hook  route. 
The  boat  proved  to  have  too  little  power  to  make  the  time  re- 
quired, and,  after  running  one  season,  was  withdrawn.  This 
vessel  was  destroyed  by  fire  at  Elizabethport  March  3,  1889. 
The  "Cape  Charles,"  that  had  run  on  Delaware  Bay,  in  connec- 
tion with  a  railroad  from  Cape  Charles  to  Norfolk,  Va.,  and 
the  "City  of  Richmond,"  that  had  seen  service  on  the  Delaware 
River,  was  run  with  the  "Jesse  Hoy t"  until  the  "St.  John,"  in 
1879,  was  chartered  and  subsequently  purchased  from  the 
Commercial  Navigation  Co.,  who  had  run  her  from  Charleston, 
S.  C.,  to  Jacksonville,  Fla.  These  two  boats  continued  the  ser- 
vice until  the  "Monmouth"  was  built  in  1888,  when  the  "Jesse 
Hoyt"  was  laid  aside,  and  during  the  next  year  the  company 
had  built  the  "Sandy  Hook"  as  a  consort  to  the  "Monmouth," 
since  which  time  the  two  fine  twin-screw  propellers,  the  "Mon- 
mouth" and  the  "Sandy  Hook,"  with  the  side-wheeler  "St. 
John,"  have  filled  the  water  service  to  the  Atlantic  Highlands, 
to  which  the  railroad  terminus  was  changed  in  1892.  A  new 
vessel  for  the  line  has  lately  been  placed  on  the  route,  named 
"Asbury  Park,"  but  from  all  appearances  she  has  not  come  up 
to  the  expectations  in  regard  to  speed  thus  far. 

The  "Jesse  Hoyt"  was  239'x29'7x9'2,  with  beam  engine, 
56"xl2'.  The  "Jesse  Hoyt"  was  originally  219'x29'x9',  with  a 
beam  engine  46"xl2'. 

"St.  John's"  was  250'x38'xl4',  with  beam  engine  66"xl2'. 

"Monmouth,"  260'6x35'xl4',  with  two  triple-expansion  en- 
gines each;  cylinders  19"  and  30"  and  50"x30".  Vessel  and 
machinery  constructed  by  Wm.  Cramp  S.  &  E.  B.  Co. 

"Sandy  Hook,"  260'6x37'xl4'3,  with  two  triple-expansion 
engines  each;  cylinders,  22"  and  35"  and  55"x28".  Vessel  and 
machinery  constructed  by  Harlan  &  Hollingsworth  Co. 

After  the  railroad  terminus  was  changed  from  Port  Mon- 
mouth to  Sandy  Hook,  the  residents  of  the  former  place  had 
at  times  a  small  steamboat  to  transport  their  freight  to  mar- 
ket, and  in  1880  a  side-wheel  boat  was  built  named  the  "Wm. 
V.  Wilson,"  for  the  service  which  was  maintained  to  a  few 
years  ago.  There  was  also  running  here  in  1870  a  email  stern- 


180  NEW   JERSEY. 

wheeler  named  "Orient,"  built  at  Cape  Elizabeth,  Me.,  in  1865, 
and  was  121'7x21'6x5'8  deep,  with  two  high-pressure  engines, 
each  15  inches  by  5  feet. 


RED  BANK  AND  SHREWSBURY. 

first  steamboat  to  run  regularly  to  Bed  Bank  after 
the  "David  Brown''*  was  the  "Frank,"  built  by  James  P.  Al- 
laire in  1834.  She  continued  to  run  from  New, York  for  about 
three  years.  Then  the  "Osirris,"  built  in  1838  by  Bishop  & 
Simonson  for  the  same  owner,  made  Ked  Bank  her  landing. 
She  also  run  to  Cranberry,  N.  J.,  for  a  year  or  morej* 

The  Monmouth  Iron  Works  was  opened  in  March,  1815, 
by  Shippan  &  McHurtrie,  of  New  York  City,  to  manufacture 
stove  castings  from  the  bog-ore  in  the  vicinity.  In  1822,  J.  P. 
Allaire  bought  this  furnace  that  was  located  near  the  present 
town  of  Allaire,  N.  J.,  and  in  1828  he  was  the  principal  or- 
ganizer of  the  Howell  Works  Co.,  where  was  manufactured 
hollow  ironware,  sadirons  and  other  cast-iron  wares  on  a  very 
extensive  scale,  and  in  1831  had  400  men  employed  at  these 
works.  Three  years  after  the  organization  of  the  company, 
Mr.  Allaire  was  the  sole  owner  of  the  stock  of  the  company. 
It  was  successful  as  a  furnace  until  about  1840,  when  an- 
thracite iron  began  to  be  successfully  made,  but  the  other  de- 
partments of  the  works  were  run  until  1850.  The  steamboats 
were  employed  in  transporting  the  manufactured  product  from 
the  works  to  New  York.  The  "Osirris"  run  until  1842,,  when 
the  "Orus"  was  built  for  the  same  owner.  The  latter  vessel 
was  larger,  being  135'x21'x7'8,  with  two  beam  engines,  each 
of  25  inches  cylinder  by  8  feet  stroke.  This  vessel  run  to  Ked 
Bank  until  1850,  when  sold  to  parties  who  sent  her  to  the 
Chagres  River  before  the  building  of  the  Panama  railroad  and 
the  time  of  the  gold  excitement  in  California.  There  was  also 
in  the  early  forties  the  "Frank,"  from  the  Hudson  River,  and  of 
about  the  same  size  of  the  "Orus,"  being  run  in  the  same  in- 
terest as  the  other  steamboat  on  the  route. 

The  "Edwin  Lewis"  was  an  opposition  boat,  while  the 
"Orus"  still  was  running  on  the  route  to  Shrewsbury  River, 
and  was  serving  the  route  as  late  as  1855.  In  1853  the 

*  See   "  David  Brown"  in  Coastwise  Steamers. 


NEW   JERSEY.  181 

"Thomas  Hunt,"  then  a  new  boat  and  larger  than  any  that  had 
preceded  her  on  the  line,  except  the  "Confidence"  that  was 
run  to  Red  Bank  the  previous  season,  but  found  to  draw  too 
much  water  for  the  Shrewsbury  River,  and  the  "Thomas  G. 
Haight,"  a  smaller  boat,  and  the  "James  Christopher,"  of  about 
the  same  size,  the  latter  being  145'x25'x7'6,  with  a  beam  en- 
gine 28  inches  by  8  feet  stroke.  This  latter  vessel  was  subse- 
quently known  as  the  "Long  Branch,"  and  was  chartered  by 
the  Quartermaster's  department  in  the  early  part  of  the  Civil 
War  from  George  H.  Power,  and  left  her  bones  on  one  of  the 
Southern  rivers.  The  "Ocean  Wave"  and  the  "Golden  Gate" 
were  two  more  of  the  light-draft  boats  that  run  here  prior  to 
1860,  and  were  a  few  feet  shorter  than  the  "Hunt,"  but  with 
much  less  power.  The  "Alice  C.  Price"  was  also  one  of  the 
early  boats  on  the  route.  The  "Alice  C.  Price"  and  the 
"Thomas  G.  Haight"  were  sold  at  auction  in  1855,  the  former 
for  $10,620,  and  the  latter  for  $13,600  to  a  company  for  use 
on  the  Potomac  River.  From  1856  to  1858  there  was  frequent 
communication  with  the  Metropolis,  and  complaint  could  not 
be  made  about  excessive  rates  of  fare,  for  they  were  as  low 
as  twelve  and  one-half  cents,  and  for  months  at  a  time  twenty- 
five  cents  was  the  ruling  rate  on  these  lines.  There  was  plenty 
of  life  then  on  the  bay  to  the  Hook. 

In  1858,  the  "Highland  Light"  was  built  for  this  route,  and 
was  of  about  the  same  size  as  the  "Thomas  Hunt,"  the  former 
having  an  engine  38"xlO',  and  the  latter  one  of  36"xll'.  The 
"Highland  Light"  was  under  charter  to  the  War  department 
during  part  of  the  Civil  War  at  $350  per  day,  and  toward  the 
close  of  the  strife  another  charter  at  $150  per  day.  The  vessel 
remained  in  Southern  waters,  and  was  employed  on  Chesa- 
peake Bay  until  1894,  when  laid  aside  from  further  use.  The 
"Thomas  Hunt,"  after  running  on  almost  every  route  within  a 
short  distance  of  New  York,  has  found  her  way  into  Starin's 
excursion  fleet,  under  the  name  of  "Valley  Girl."  The  "Meta" 
was  also  on  the  route  for  a  time  during  the  early  sixties. 

In  1866,  the  "Sea  Bird"  was  constructed  at  Brooklyn,  N.  Y., 
for  the  Merchants'  Steamboat  Co.  for  the  Red  Bank  route,  and 
is  the  largest  steamboat  that  has  run  to  that  landing.  It  is 
187'x30'x8',  with  a  beam  engine  42"xlO'.  The  vessel  was  par- 
tially destroyed  by  fire  on  May  5th,  1867,  was  rebuilt  and  on  the 


182  NEW    JERSEY. 

route  again  in  July  following,  the  "Nelly  White"  taking  her 
place  in  the  interval.  The  "Helen"  was  built  for  the  same  par- 
ties in  1862,  but  was  a  much  smaller  vessel,  and  run  until  the 
"Albertina"  was  built  in  1882.  The  "Albertina"  was  originally 
165  feet  long,  but  subsequently  was  lengthened;  has  a  beam 
engine  38"xlO',  and  with  the  "Sea  Bird"  has  filled  the  wants 
of  the  line  for  several  years. 

The  shifting  nature  of  the  sand  bars  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Shrewsbury  River  has  been  an  obstacle  to  the  navigation  of 
the  two  branches  of  the  river  by  any  but  very  light-draft 
steamboats,  and  these  must  time  their  arrivals  and  departures 
by  the  condition  of  the  tide.  Since  1871  Congress  has  appro- 
priated about  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  for  the 
improvement  of  the  channels,  that  has  been  expended  mainly 
for  dredging. 

The  first  steamboat  we  find  to  the  South  River  was  the 
"Franklin,"  that  run  from  New  York  to  Shrewsbury  near 
"Long  Branch"  in  1819  for  a  short  time,  three  times  a  week 
stopping  at  Fort  Diamond  in  New  York  Bay.  Passenger  fare 
8  sh.  This  branch  does  not  appear  to  have  had  any  steamboat 
line  for  many  years  after,  probably  on  account  of  Allaire's  line 
of  steamboats  filling  all  the  need  for  communication  by  water 
for  that  section  of  the  State. 

There  was  no  steamboat  running  here  until  the  "Edwin 
Lewis,"  about  1848.  This  was  a  small  vessel  of  only  124  feet 
in  length,  like  unto  one  of  our  harbor  tugs,  with  very  large 
power  for  her  size  of  hull,  having  a  square  engine  29  inches  by 
8  feet  stroke.  They  made  it  lively  very  often  for  the  Red  Bank 
boats  in  those  days,  as  there  was  plenty  of  opposition  on  hand 
at  frequent  intervals.  She  run  there  for  several  years.  The 
"J.  G,  Christopher"  also  run  up  the  South  branch. 

After  the  completion  of  the  New  Jersey  Southern  R.  R., 
or  as  then  known  the  Raritan  and  Delaware  Bay  R.  R.,  to  and 
along  the  Atlantic  coast  in  1862,  there  were  no  steamboats 
running  to  the  South  River  for  many  years.  It  was  not  until 
1883,  when  the  "Wilbier  A.  Heisley,"  a  stern- wheeler  of  the 
Western  river  type,  was  constructed  at  Nyack,  N.  Y.,  for  a 
company  composed  of  residents  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
the  Shrewsbury  River.  The  vessel  was  185  feet  over  all,  155 
feet  keel,  and  was  fitted  with  two  high-pressure  engines,  built 


NEW    JERSEY.  183 

by  Jaines  Bees  &  Sons,  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  having  cylinders 
each  18  inches  diameter  and  8  feet  stroke.  The  stern-wheel 
was  24  feet  diameter,  with  buckets  25  feet  4  inches  long.  There 
was  fitted  to  furnish  steam  a  water-tube  boiler,  built  by 
Charles  Ward,  of  Charleston,  W.  Va.  This  vessel  run  to  the 
Shrewsbury  River  for  a  year  or  more,  and  having  proved  an 
expensive  boat  to  run,  the  company  closed  up  the  business  and 
the  vessel  was  sold  at  sheriff's  sale.  Her  name  was  now 
changed  to  "City  of  Long  Branch."  The  vessel  run  again  for 
about  two  more  seasons  to  same  points,  and  after  an  interval 
of  a  few  years  was  placed  in  service  between  Philadelphia  and 
the  towns  on  the  upper  Delaware  River;  She  was  afterwards 
chartered  for  a  year  by  a  wrecking  company  searching  for  a 
British  treasure  ship  in  the  Delaware  River.  In  1892,  she  was 
sold  to  parties  in  North  Carolina,  and  on  November  3d,  of  that 
year,  was  destroyed  by  fire  while  on  the  Roanoke  River.  This 
was  the  largest  stern-wheeler  that  had  been  on  the  North  At- 
lantic Coast.  The  "Helen"  was  at  one  time  a  stern-wheeler, 
or  partly  so;  and  then  there  was  a  freight  boat  that  run  to 
Port  Monmouth  prior  to  1870,  but  these  were  smaller  vessels. 

After  the  "City  of  Long  Branch"  was  withdrawn,  a  side- 
wheel  vessel  was  built  for  parties  owning  summer  residences 
on  the  river,  at  Bath,  Me.,  and  named  "Shrewsbury."  This 
vessel  was  161'x26'6x7'6,  and  fitted  with  an  inclined  com- 
pound engine  having  cylinders  25  inches  and  44  inches  by  G 
feet  stroke.  This  was  a  well-built  and  serviceable  vessel  for 
the  route,  but  was  another  expensive  one  to  run,  pretty  much 
the  entire  hold  of  the  vessel  being  filled  with  machinery.  Not 
proving  a  success  on  the  route,  this  vessel  was  in  operation  but 
one  season,  and  after  being  laid  up  for  several  months  was 
sold  for  service  on  Lake  Ontario,  where  she  has  since  re- 
mained under  the  name  of  "New  York."  One  trouble  with  her 
operation  on  the  waters  of  the  South  River  consisted  in  the 
filling  of  the  tubes  of.  her  surface  condenser  with  the  sand 
brought  in  by  the  water  of  condensation. 

The  present  "Patten  line"  is  the  development  of  an  in- 
terest Thomas  Patten  had  in  the  steamboat  "Pleasure  Bay," 
built  at  Nyack,  N.  Y.,  in  1890,  and  that  run  to  Long  Branch 
and  points  on  the  South  River.  Two  years  prior  to  this  the 
"Elberon"  had  been  built  at  Nyack  also,  for  the  Merchants' 


184  NEW    JERSEY. 

Steamboat  Company,  owners  of  the  Red  Bank  line,  and  run  to 
Shrewsbury  and  landings  on  the  river.  This  boat  had  the  en- 
gine and  boiler  of  the  "Helen,''  that  had  now  been  laid  aside. 
An  opposition  now  began  between  the  two  lines  that  was 
fierce  and  determined  while  it  lasted,  during  a  period  covering 
nearly  two  years,  and  when  it  was  over  developed  the  purchase 
of  the  "Elberon"  and  the  controlling  interest  in  the  "Pleasure 
Bay,"  .by  Thomas  Patten,  and  subsequently  the  formation  of  the 
Sea  Bright  and  Pleasure  Bay  Steamboat  Company,  with  a  capi- 
tal of  $30,000.  In  1893,  the  "Mary  Patten"  was  built  at  Brook- 
lyn, N.  Y.,  for  this  same  service,  and  has  proved  a  very  pro- 
fitable boat  for  the  company.  In  1894,  a  company  was  or- 
ganized of  residents  in  that  part  of  the  State  adjacent  to  the 
river,  who  had  a  vessel  constructed  at  Tompkin's  Cove,  N.  Y., 
of  the  dimensions  of  the  "Pleasure  Bay,"  and  named  "Little 
Silver,"  and  after  this  steamboat  was  placed  on  the  route 
there  was  a  war  of  rates  and  all  other  factors  that  accompany 
an  opposition  line,  that  would  have  done  justice  to  some  of  the 
earlier  contests  with  similar  weapons,  and  at  its  ending  in 
about  two  seasons  the  Patten  line  owners  were  found  in  con- 
trol of  a  majority  of  the  stock  of  the  opposition  company.  So 
the  Patten  line  owns  at  this  time  the  steamboats  "Pleasure 
Bay,"  the  "Elberon,"  the  "Mary  Patten,"  the  "Little  Silver," 
and  their  latest  and  largest  of  them  all,  the  "Thomas  Patten," 
and  controls  all  the  passenger  business  and  freight  by  water 
from  the  south  branch  of  the  Shrewsbury  River. 


DELAWARE  RIVER. 

The  first  experiment  with  a  steam  vessel  in  this  country 
was  that  made  by  John  Fitch,  in  1787,  on  the  Delaware  River, 
as  detailed  on  another  page.  It  was  several  years  before  a 
better  steam  vessel  was  seen  on  the  river,  but,  in  the  meantime, 
such  progress  had  been  made  in  steam  navigation  that  the 
question  of  a  successful  steam  vessel  was  no  longer  in  doubt. 

The  "Phenix,"  built  by  John  Stevens,  at  Hoboken,  N.  J., 
and  sent  around  to  the  Delaware  River  in  June,  1809,  is  also 
mentioned  on  another  page.  There  is  a  handsome  oil  painting 
of  this  vessel  in  the  gallery  of  the  late  E.  A.  Stevens,  at  Ho- 
boken, N.  J.,  where  the  name  Moses  Rogers  is  painted  in  bold 


NEW    JERSEY.  185 

letters  across  the  paddle-box,  this  being  a  custom  not  uncom- 
mon in  the  early  days,  when  the  name  of  the  captain  was  as 
well  known  as  that  of  the  vessel  he  commanded.  This  Moses 
Rogers  was  at  a  later  date  the  captain  of  the  American  steam- 
ship "Savannah,"  that  was  the  pioneer  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean 
steamers,  and  that  sailed  from  Savannah,  Ga.,  for  the  British 
Isles  and  Russia  in  1819.  After  the  "Phenix,"  that  did  service 
on  the  river  until  about  1813,  came  the  "Philadelphia,"  or  "Old 
Sal,"  built  at  New  York  in  1815  and  run  to  Trenton  in  connec- 
tion with  the  stages  from  Amboy  and  New  Brunswick,  N.  J., 
that  made  a  through  line  from  New  York.  Both  of  these  ves- 
sels were  about  140  feet  long  by  20  feet  beam  and  drew  about 
4  feet  of  water.  The  engine  of  the  "Philadelphia"  had  a 
cylinder  33  inches  diameter  and  her  water-wheels  were  18  feet 
diameter.  This  vessel  was  laid  aside  in  1825. 

There  were  two  high-pressure  boats  built  at  Philadelphia 
in  1820,  named  the  "Etna"  and  the  "Pennsylvania,"  to  run  as 
opposition  to  the  Union  line.  They  were  120  feet  long  by  20 
feet  beam  by  4  feet  draft.  They  remained  here  but  one  or  two 
seasons,  when  they  were  sent  to  New  York  waters.  The 
"Pennsylvania"  was  a  towboat  on  the  Delaware  River  after 
1840,  belonging  to  the  Lehigh  Valley  Coal  Company.  There 
were  several  opposition  boats  that  tried  their  fortunes  on  the 
upper  Delaware  at  this  period  and  found  it  to  be  a  poor  in- 
vestment, as  the  stage  connections  were  in  the  hands  of  the 
regular  line. 

The  Union  line,  in  1825,  put  in  service  the  "Trenton,"  built 
at  the  Stevens  yard  at  Hoboken,  N.  J.,  the  year  before,  and 
was  a  vast  improvement  over  the  slow  old  tubs  that  had  been 
the  only  means  of  communication  by  water  between  Phila- 
delphia and  Trenton  for  many  years,  and  in  1826  the  "Bur- 
lington," built  at  the  Hoboken  yard  also.  This  vessel  was 
originally  about  the  same  size  as  the  "Trenton,"  but  like  the 
latter  was  subject  to  changes  until  the  hull  was  229'x23'x8' 
deep,  with  an  engine  38-inch  cylinder  by  7  feet  stroke.  The 
"New  Philadelphia"  was  also  on  the  Delaware  for  a  few  sea- 
sons, running  to  Bordentown  at  the  same  time  as  the  "Bur- 
lington," and  the  "Swan"  of  same  dimensions  generally  as  the 
Trenton"  was  here  for  a  few  years.  Most  of  these  boats,  after 
running  a  fewT  seasons,  were  sent  back  to  New  York  waters  to 


186  NEW    JERSEY. 

run  on  the  Amboy  end  of  the  route.  The  "Rainbow,"  built  in 
1841,  and  after  doing  service  on  the  Hudson  River  and  not  de- 
veloping as  high  speed  as  anticipated,  was  sent  to  the  Dela- 
ware River,  and  after  some  years  went  the  way  of  many  pas- 
senger boats — towing  canal  btoats  and  coal  barges.  Every  few 
years  there  would  be  some  of  the  out-of-date  and  inferior 
class  of  passenger  bo#ts  sent  from  the  Hudson  River  to  the 
Delaware  River  to  run  as  opposition  lines,  or  offer  themselves 
up  as  a  sacrifice  to  be  bought  off,  prior  to  1850,  but  after  that 
date  some  fine  passenger  boats  of  independent  companies 
were  sent  from  New  York. 

The  Camden  &  Amboy  Railroad  Co.,  the  transportation 
monopoly  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey  of  this  period,  in  1845 
built  a  fine  side-wheel  passenger  boat  with  an  iron  hull,  the 
"John  Stevens,"  at  the  Hoboken  yards  for  a  passenger  boat  to 
Bordentown,  but  when  about  ten  years  old  was  burned  at  her 
dock  at  Bordentown  on  July  17th,  1855.  This  vessel  was  245'x 
31'xll.  feet  hold,  with  a  "steeple"  engine  of  75-inch  cylinder 
by  8-feet  stroke.  She  was  about  the  first,  if  not  the  pioneer, 
of  our  iron-hull  steam  vessels  that  was  fitted  with  a  collision 
bulkhead,  in  this  case  being  27  feet  from  the  stem  of  the  ves- 
sel. After  being  burned  the  machinery  was  removed  and  a 
pair  of  propeller  engines  erected  on  board  and  twin-screws 
fitted  to  the  vessel,  placed  in  the  freight  service  of  the  rail- 
road company,  where  she  is  doing  duty  to  this  day  in  New 
York  waters,  but  of  late  years  for  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
Company. 

The  "John  Neilson,"  with  the  blowing  engines  to  blow  air 
under  the  hull  of  the  vessel,  also  run  from  Philadelphia  in  the 
passenger  service  of  the  Camden  &  Amboy  R.  R.,  at  times, 
after  1850;  and  the  "Joseph  Belknap,"  from  the  New  York  end 
of  the  route,  was  on  the  Delaware.  These  were  all  pretty  fast 
boats  for  the  river,  but  none  of  them  was  the  equal  of  the 
"Richard  Stockton,"  built  in  1852,  and  in  the  same  service. 

VThe  "Ohio,"  built  in  Philadelphia  in  1832,  and  whose 
dimensions  were  175'x25'x9',  and  the  "Robert  Morris,"  a 
smaller  boat  than  the  "Ohio,"  built  in  1830,  were  for  some 
years  running  to  Cape  May,  both  being  owned  by  the  Union 
line.  In  1839,  the  "Linnaeus,"  from  New  York,  was  also  run- 
ning to  Cape  May.>(  After  1840,  the  "Napoleon,"  from  New 


NEW   JEESEY.  187 

York,  took  a  respite  from  the  labors  of  the  opposition  in  those 
waters  and  run  as  the  disturbing  element  to  the  Cape.  This 
was  a  small  boat  that  was  in  the  thick  of  the  fight  of  opposi- 
tion. In  1850,  the  "Balloon"  and  the  "Kip  Van  Winkle,"  and, 
in  1851,  the  "Thomas  Powell,''  all  from  the  Hudson  River,  were 
on  the  lower  Delaware  River.  The  "Thomas  Powell"  and  the 
"General  McDonald,"  from  Baltimore,  Md.,  run  to  Cape  May 
for  about  four  years,  when  they  were  brought  to  New  York. 
There  was  also  at  this  period  the  "Manhattan,"  that  had  been 
on  the  Hudson  River  for  some  years,  and  was  a  passenger  boat 
of  good  dimensions.  Prior  to  1880,  there  was  the  "Sue,"  the 
"T.  V.  Arrowsmith,"  from  New  York,  and  in  1878  the  "Repub- 
lic," the  largest  and  best  equipped  vessel  for  the  Cape  May 
route  that  had  been  there  to  that  date.  This  vessel  was 
270'x37'xl2'6,  with  beam  engine  66"xl2'. 

X,  The  first  steamboat  of  any  size  to  run  to  Wilmington  was 
the  "Wilmington,"  built  in  1829,  at  Philadelphia,)^  S.  Grice, 
for  J.  A.  Bayard  and  others,  and  whose  dimensions  were  156'x 
22'x8'3,  and  had  a  beam  engine,  built  by  Thos.  Halloway,  of  38- 
inch  cylinder  by  7  feet  6-inch  stroke.  Six  years  later  the  vessel 
was  lengthened  and  the  engine  enlarged  to  a  40-inch  by  10-f eet 
stroke,  the  ownership  having  passed  to  the  Wilmington  and 
Philadelphia  Steamboat  Company.  During  1840,  the  vessel  was 
sold  to  parties  who  started  to  take  her  south,  but  she  was  lost 
on  the  way.xfln  1836,  J.  Vaughan,  of  Philadelphia,  built  for 
Wilmon  Whilden,  Jr.,  the  "Telegraph"  for  this  service,  a  boat 
,  of  169'x22'6x8'9,  having  a  beam  engine,  built  by  Thomas  Hoi- 
loway,  of  36-inch  cylinder  by  10  feet  stroke,  and  that  run  in 
connection  with  the  Wilmington  and  Baltimore  RailroadX  Be- 
tween 1845  and  1850  the  "Napoleon"  and  the  "Balloon"  were 
at  times  putting  in  a  season  on  the  route. 

In  1845,  the  "W.  W'hilden"  was  built  by  the  Harlan  & 
Hollingsworth  Company  for  Capt.  Whilden  for  this  service, 
and  her  hull  dimensions  were  192'xl9'7x8r,  with  a  beam 
engine  of  40  inches  by  9  feet.  She  run  to  Wilmington  until  about 
1857,  afterwards  being  altered  to  a  propeller  and  placed  on  the 
Philadelphia  and  Baltimore  route.  In  1847,  the  Wilmington 
Steamboat  Company  had  the  "Zephyr,"  whose  hull  dimensions 
were  179'x27'x8'6,  with  a  beam  engine  of  34  inches  by  9  feet 
stroke  and  run  to  Wilmington  until  1863,  when  sold  to  go  south 


188  HEW   JERSEY. 

but  was  lost  on  the  way.  She  was  built  for  the  Hudson  River 
and  proved  very  fast  while  there.  In  1865,  the  "Samuel  M.  Fel- 
ton,"  a  fine  boat  of  211'x29'x9'6,  with  an  engine  of  56-inch 
cylinder  by  11-feet  stroke  was  built,  began  running  from  Phila- 
delphia to  Wilmington  and  continued  on  the  route  until  1885, 
when  the  opposition  became  so  strong  and  fare  cut  to  so  low 
a  figure  that  it  was  a  losing  investment  to  continue,  when 
the  vessel  was  withdrawn  from  the  service. 

The  finest  boats  that  have  been  on  the  route  are  the  pres- 
ent propellers  covering  the  distance,  the  "Brandywine"  and 
the  "City  of  Chester."  The  former  was  built  in  1885,  by  the 
Harlan  &  Hollingsworth  Co.,  and  the  latter  in  1887,  by  the 
same  builders.  The  former  is  177'x25'x8'6,  with  compound  en- 
gine having  cylinders  of  24"  and  42"x24",  and  two  locomotive 
boilers  originally.  The  latter  is  185'6x28'x9',  with  triple-ex- 
par  sion  engine  having  cylinders  IS1/^"  and  27"  and  42"x24-inch 
stroke.  One  of  the  owners  in  this  line  of  boats,  J.  Shields  Wil- 
son, was  among  the  early -marine  engineers  of  this  country  in 
applying  the  compound  engine  during  the  period  of  its  develop- 
ment with  the  screw  engine  about  1872  or  1874. 

Outside  of  the  four-iron-canal  propellers  that  were  built 
at  New  York,  in  1842,  for  the  Delaware  &  Raritan  Canal  Com- 
pany,, there  was  built  the  same  year  at  Philadelphia,  by  Moses 
Starr  &  Sons,  who  had  a  boiler  and  machine  shop  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  city,  an  iron-hull  side- wheel  steamboat,  whose 
dimensions  were  80rxl2/x4%',  with  two  high-pressure  engines, 
named  "Appiquinuminck."  This  vessel  run  a  short  time  to 
Odessa,  but  was  subsequently  sold  for  service  in  Central  Amer- 
ica. This  was  the  first  iron-hull  steamboat  built  on  the  Dela- 
ware River  for  local  use.  The  next  year  John  F.  Starr  built  at 
Camden,  N.  J.,  for  the  Baltimore  and  Philadelphia  Steamboat 
Company,  the "Conestoga,"  a  twin-screw  propeller  of  80'xl6'x6', 
having  an  iron  hull.  Builder  of  the  hull  also  built  the  boiler, and 
propellers  that  were  of  Ericcson's  patent,  while  the  engine 
was  constructed  by  Reanie,  Neafie  &  Co.  In  1844,  the  sam»3 
builder  constructed  the  hull  of  a  small  side-wheel  steamboat 
named  "Independence,"  also  having  an  iron  hull  of  90'xl5'x5'. 
She  wTas  fitted  with  an  oscillating  engine  of  16"x6',  built  by  I. 
P.  Morris  &  Co.,  of  Philadelphia.  The  vessel  run  to  Bridgeport, 
for  a  time,  and  shortly  after  was  placed  in  the  towing  business 


NEW    JERSEY.  189 

on  the  river.  At  one  time  the  name  "W.  G.  Thomas"  was  on 
her  wheel-houses.  There  were  a  few  iron-hull  barges  built 
about  the  same  time  for  the  transportation  of  freight,  but  the 
former  named  were  the  first  three  iron-hull  steam  vessels  con- 
structed on  the  Delaware  River  for  local  use. 

Tn  1844,  Jesse  W.  Starr,  of  Camden,  N.  J.,  constructed  the 
side-wheel  tow-barge  "Camden"  for  the  Delaware  &  Karitan 
Canal  Company,  of  130  feet  by  20  feet  beam,  and  in  1845  built 
the  tow-barge  "Mars"  for  the  same  company. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
WESTERN  RIVERS. 

HE  first  steamboat  to  ply  upon  the  western  rivers 
was  the  "New  Orleans,"  built  at  Pittsburg,  Pa., 
by  Livingston  &  Fulton,  under  the  supervision  of 
Nicholas  J.  Roosevelt,  in  1811,  who  had  been  as- 
sociated with  Livingston  and  Stevens  in  their  ex- 
periments with  steam  navigation  on  the  Hudson  River, 
prior  to  Livingston  being  appointed  Minister  of  France,  in 
1800.  The  plans  of  this  vessel  were  decided  on  in  New  York 
by  Robert  Fulton.  It  was  116  feet  long  by  20  feet  beam  and 
about  7  feet  depth  of  hold,  and  fitted  with  a  low-pressure  en- 
gine of  34-inch  cylinder,  and  propelled  by  side  wheels,  with  the 
boiler  in  the  hold  of  the  vessel.  This  vessel  was  built  on  the 
bank  of  the  Monongahela  River,  close  by  a  small  creek  and 
under  what  was  known  as  Boyd's  Hill,  on  the  site  occupied 
by  the  Pittsburg  and  Connellsville  R.  R.  depot,  and  in  close 
proximity  to  Beelen's  foundry.  A  shipbuilder,  as  well  as  the 
mechanics  required  to  erect  the  machinery,  were  brought  from 
New  York,  but  the  ship  carpenters  who  were  accustomed  to 
building  barges  were  obtained  at  Pittsburg.  The  timber  for 
the  vessel  was  procured  by  sending  men  into  the  forests  to 
cut  it,  then  transporting  it  to  the  Monongahela  River  and  raft- 
ing it  down  to  the  shipyard.  White  pine  was  used  for  plank- 
ing, as  the  only  material  that  could  be  obtained  without  de- 
lay. In  this  vessel  there  were  two  cabins,  one  forward  and 
one  aft,  the  former  a  large  one  for  men,  and  the  latter  for 
women,  which  was  fitted  with  four  berths  and  comfortably 
furnished.  The  vessel  was  also  fitted  with  twro  masts  and 
sails,  as  Fulton  believed  at  this  time  that  sails  were  occasion- 
ally useful.  This  vessel  cost  about  $38,000. 

In  the  latter  part  of  September,  1811,  the  "New  Orleans," 
after  a  short  experimental  trip  up  the  Monongahela  River, 
commenced  her  voyage*  with  Nicholas  J.  Roosevelt  and  his 

*  The  First  Steamboat  Voyage  on  the  Western  Waters,  by  J.  H, 
B.  Latrobe.  • 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  191 

wife  as  the  only  passengers.  There  was  a  captain,  an  engineer 
named  Baker,  Andrew  Jack  the  pilot,  six  hands,  two  female 
servants,  a  man  waiter,  a  cook,  and  an  immense  Newfound- 
land dog  named  "Tiger."  Thus  equipped,  the  "New  Orleans" 
began  the  voyage  that  changed  the  relations  of  the  West, 
which  may  almost  be  said  to  have  changed  its  destiny.  When 
it  became  known  that  Mrs.  Roosevelt  intended  to  accompany 
her  husband  on  the  voyage,  the  numerous  friends  she  had 
made  in  Pittsburg  endeavored  to  persuade  her  from  what  was 
regarded  as  utter  folly,  if  not  absolute  madness,  and  her  hus 
band  was  told  that  he  had  no  right  to  peril  his  wife's  life, 
however  reckless  he  might  be  of  his  own. 

It  should  be  here  stated,  that  about  June,  1809,  Roosevelt 
started  from  Pittsburg,  accompanied  by  his  wife,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  making  investigations  regarding  the  currents  of  the 
rivers  to  be  navigated  by  steam  vessels,  in  a  flat  boat  he  had 
built  at  Pittsburg,  and  that  was  manned  by  an  experienced 
crew  and  a  pilot,  three  hands  and  a  cook.  It  was  then  a 
question  whether  steam  could  be  employed  in  navigating  the 
western  rivers,  which  its  success  on  the  Hudson  River  was  not 
regarded  as  having  entirely  solved.  He  stopped  at  Cincinnati, 
Louisville  and  Natchez,  which  were  then  the  only  places  of 
any  size,  and  that  very  small.  Furnished  with  letters  of  in- 
troduction to  the  leading  citizens  he  stated  his  purpose  in 
visiting  the  West,  but  from  none  did  he  receive  any  encourage- 
ment, as  they  were  incredulous  of  steam  being  able  to  resist 
the  strong  and  whirling  currents  of  the  western  rivers.  He 
gauged  them;  he  measured  their  velocity  at  different  seasons, 
and  obtained  all  the  statistical  information  within  his  reach, 
and  formed  a  judgment  with  respect  to  the  future  development 
of  the  country  west  of  the  Alleghanies  that  has  since  been 
amply  corroborated.  Not  only  did  he  do  this,  but  finding  coal 
on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  he  purchased  and  opened  mines  of 
the  material,  and  so  confident  was  he  of  the  success  of  the 
project  on  hand,  that  he  caused  supplies  of  the  fuel  to  be 
heaped  upon  the  shore  in  anticipation  of  the  wrants  of  a  steam- 
boat whose  keel  was  yet  to  be  laid.  He  arrived  in  New  Orleans 
in  December,  1809,  and  immediately  sailed  for  New  York, 
where  he  arrived  in  January,  1810.  His  report,  bearing  on  its 
face  the  evidence  of  the  thoroughness  of  his  examinations,  im- 


192  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

pressed  Fulton  and  Livingston  with  his  own  convictions,  and 
in  the  spring  of  that  year  he  returned  to  Pittsburg  to  superin- 
tend the  construction  of  the  "New  Orleans." 

It  has  been  stated  by  some  writers  that  it  was  probable 
that  the  engine  for  this  vessel  was  one  of  Bonlton  &  Watt's 
construction,  but  this  was  not  so.  Shops  were  erected  for  the 
building  of  parts  of  the  machinery,  and  as  Roosevelt  had 
built  steam  engines  at  his  works  at  Belleville  on  the  Passaic 
River,  New  Jersey,  where  all  the  work  in  the  experiments  by 
Livingston,  Stevens  and  himself  were  done  from  1797  to  1799, 
the  construction  of  the  vessel  was  in  the  hands  of  one  who 
had  some  experience  in  the  construction  of  steam  vessels. 
Besides,  Robert  Fulton  had  built  at  New  York  the  engines  for 
the  "Raritan,"  the  "Car  of  Neptune,"  and  the  "Paragon,"  prior 
to  the  engine  for  the  "New  Orleans"  being  constructed.  There 
seems  to  be  no  doubt  in  the  least  that  the  larger  part  of  the 
machinery  for  this  vessel  was  built  at  New  York,  sent  out  in 
parts  and  put  together  on  board  the  vessel.  Mechanics  were 
sent  from  the  East  for  its  erection  on  board,  and  some  of  these 
men  remained  in  the  West,  and  grew  up  with  the  country. 
Shops  were  erected  and  tools  sent  from  the  East  at  a  later 
date  for  the  construction  of  the  engines  of  their  other  vessels. 
It  was,  no  doubt,  of  the  same  type  of  engine  as  Fulton  had 
built  for  his  Hudson  River  boats. 

The  incidents  of  the  trip  from  Pittsburg  to  New  Orleans, 
with  the  effects  of  the  earthquake  on  the  river  while  they  were 
on  the  way  after  leaving  Louisville,  form  a  very  romantic  tale 
as  told  by  a  relative  of  Mr.  Roosevelt. 

"The  people  of  Pittsburg  turned  out  in  mass  and  lined 
the  banks  of  the  Monongahela  to  witness  the  departure  of 
the  steamboat,  and  shout  after  shout  rent  the  air,  and  handker- 
chiefs were  waved,  and  hats  thrown  up  by  way  of  "Godspeed" 
to  the  voyagers  as  the  anchor  was  raised,  and  heading  up 
stream  for  a  short  distance  a  wide  circuit  brought  the  "New 
Orleans"  on  her  proper  course,  and  steam  and  current  aiding, 
she  disappeared  behind  the  first  headlands  on  the  right  bank 
of  the  Ohio. 

"Too  much  excited  to  sleep,  Roosevelt  and  his  wife  passed 
the  greater  part  of  the  first  night  on  deck,  and  watched  the 
shore  covered  then  with  an  almost  unbroken  forest,  as  reach 


WESTERN    RIVERS. 


193 


after  reach,  and  bend  after  bend,  were  passed  at  a  speed  of 
from  8  to  10  miles  an  hour.  The  regular  working  of  the  en- 
gine, the  ample  supply  of  steam,  the  uniformity  of  the  speed, 
inspired  at  last  a  confidence  that  quieted  the  nervous  appre- 
hension of  the  travelers.  Andrew  Jack,  the  pilot,  delighted 
with  the  facility  with  which  the  vessel  was  steered,  and  at  a 
speed  to  which  he  was  so  little  accustomed,  ceased  to  express 
misgivings  and  became  as  sanguine  as  Mr.  Roosevelt  himself 
in  regard  to  the  success  of  the  voyage.  The  very  crew  of  un- 
imaginative men  were  excited  with  the  novelty  of  the  situa- 
tion, and  when  the  following  morning  all  hands  assembled 
on  deck  to  return  the  cheers  of  a  village  whose  inhabitants 
had  seen  the  boat  approaching  down  a  long  reach  in  the  river, 
and  turned  out  to  greet  her  as  she  sped  by,  it  probably  shone 
upon  as  jolly  a  set  as  ever  floated  on  the  Ohio. 

"On  the  second  day  after  leaving  Pittsburg,  the  "New  Or- 
leans" rounded  to  opposite  Cincinnati,  and  cast  anchor  in  the 
stream.  Levees  and  wharf  'boats  were  things  unknown  in 
1811.  Here  as  at  Pittsburg,  the  whole  town  seemed  to  have 
assembled  on  the  bank,  and  many  of  the  acquaintances  of  the 
former  visit  came  off  in  small  boats.  'Well,  you  are  as  good 
as  your  word;  you  have  visited  us  in  a  steamboat/  they  said, 
'but  we  see  you  for  the  last  time.  Your  boat  may  go  down 
the  river,  but  as  to  coming  up  it,  the  very  idea  is  an  absurd 
one.'  This  was  one  of  those  occasions  on  which  seeing  was 
not  believing.  The  keel  boatmen,  whose  shoulders  had  har- 
dened as  they  pressed  their  poles  for  many  a  weary  mile 
against  the  current,  shook  their  heads  as  they  crowded  around 
the  strange  visitor,  and  bandied  river  wit  with  the  crew  that 
had  been  selected  from  their  own  calling  for  the  first  voyage. 
Some  flat  boatmen,  whose  ungainly  arks  the  steamboat  had 
passed  a  short  distance  above  the  town,  and  who  now  floated 
by  with  the  current,  seemed  to  have  a  better  opinion  of  the 
newcomer,  and  proposed  a  tow  in  case  they  were  again  over- 
taken. But  as  to  the  boats  returning,  all  agreed  that  could 
never  be. 

"The  stay  at  Cincinnati  was  brief,  only  long  enough  to 
take  in  a  supply  of  wood  for  the  voyage  to  Louisville,  which 
was  reached  on  the  night  of  the  fourth  day  after  leaving  Pitts- 
burg. It  was  midnight  on  the  first  of  October  1811,  that  the 


194  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

"New  Orleans"  dropped  anchor  opposite  the  town.  There  was 
a  brilliant  moon;  it  was  as  light  as  day  almost,  and  no  one 
on  board  had  retired.  The  roar  of  the  escaping  steam,  then 
heard  for  the  first  time  at  the  place,  where  now  its  echoes  are 
increasing,  roused  the  population,  and  late  as  it  was  crowds 
came  rushing  to  the  bank  of  the  river  to  learn  the  cause  of 
the  unwonted  uproar.  A  letter  now  before  me,  written  by 
one  of  those  on  board  at  the  time,  records  the  fact  that  there 
were  those  who  insisted  that  the  comet  of  1811  had  fallen 
into  the  Ohio  and  had  produced  the  hubbub. 

"The  morning  after  the  arrival  of  the  vessel  at  Louisville, 
Mr.  Roosevelt's  acquaintances  and  others  came  on  board,  and 
here  the  same  things  were  said  that  had  been  said  at  Cincin- 
nati. Congratulations  at  having  descended  the  river  were 
without  exception,  accompanied  by  regrets  that  it  was  the 
first  and  last  time  a  steamboat  would  be  seen  above  the  Falls 
of  the  Ohio.  Still,  so  far,  certainly  Mr.  Eoosevelt's  promises 
had  been  fulfilled,  and  there  was  a  public  dinner  given  to  him 
a  few  days  after  his  arrival.  Here  any  number  of  compli- 
mentary toasts  were  drunk,  and  the  usual  amount  of  good 
feeling  on  such  occasions  was  manifested. 

"Not  to  be  outdone  in  hospitality,  Mr.  Roosevelt  invited 
his  hosts  to  dine  on  board  the  "New  Orleans,"  which  still  lay 
anchored  opposite  the  town.  The  company  met  in  the  forward, 
or  gentlemen's  cabin,  and  the  feast  was  at  its  height,  when 
suddenly  there  was  heard  unwonted  rumblings,  accompanied 
by  a  very  perceptible  motion  in  the  vessel.  The  company  had 
but  one  idea.  The  "New  Orleans"  had  escaped  from  her 
anchor,  and  was  drifting  toward  the  Falls,  to  the  certain 
destruction  of  all  on  board.  There  was  an  instant  and  simul- 
taneous rush  to  the  upper  deck,  when  the  company  found  that 
instead  of  drifting  towards  the  Falls  of  the  Ohio,  the  "New 
Orleans"  was  making  good  headway  up  the  river  and  would 
soon  leave  Louisville  in  the  distance  down  stream.  As  the  en- 
gine warmed  to  its  work,  and  the  steam  blew  off  at  the  safety 
valve,  the  speed  increased.  Mr.  Roosevelt,  of  course,  had  pro- 
vided this  mode  of  convincing  his  incredulous  guests,  and 
their  surprise  and  delight  may  readily  be  imagined.  After 
going  up  the  river  for  a  few  miles,  the  "New  Orleans"  re- 
turned to  her  anchorage. 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  195 

"It  had  been  intended  on  leaving  Pittsburg,  to  proceed  as 
rapidly  as  possible  to  New  Orleans,  to  place  the  boat  on  the 
route  for  which  it  was  designed,  between  that  city  and 
Natchez.  It  was  found,  however,  on  reaching  Louisville,  that 
there  was  not  sufficient  depth  of  water  on  the  Falls  of  the 
Ohio  to  permit  the  vessel  to  pass  over  them  in  safety.  Noth- 
ing was  to  be  done,  therefore,  but  to  wait  as  patiently  as 
possible  for  a  rise  in  the  river.  That  this  delay  might,  as  far 
as  practicable,  be  utilized  to  the  extent  at  least  of  convincing 
the  incredulous  Cincinnatians,  the  "New  Orleans"  returned 
to  that  city,  where  she  was  greeted  with  an  enthusiasm  that 
exceeded  even  what  was  displayed  on  her  descent  from  Pitts- 
burg.  No  one  doubted  now.  In  1832,  I  was  detained  for  sev- 
eral days  in  Cincinnati  on  my  return  from  a  visit  to  the  South. 
There  were  numbers  then  alive  who  remembered  the  first  ad- 
vent of  steam,  and  from  some  of  these  I  learned  what  is  here 
stated  in  regard  to  the  public  feeling  at  the  time — the  univer- 
sal incredulity  of  the  first  visit,  the  unbounded  confidence  in- 
spired by  the  second. 

"Returning  to  Louisville,  the  great  interest  of  all  on  board 
the  "New  Orleans"  centered  in  watching  the  rise  in  the  Ohio. 
Bain  in  the  upper  country  was  what  was  wanted,  and  of  this 
there  seemed  small  promise.  There  was  nothing  in  the  aspect 
of  the  heavens  that  indicated  it.  On  the  contrary,  there  was  a 
dull  misty  sky  without  a  cloud;  the  leaden  atmosphere  that 
weighed  upon  the  spirits,  and  the  meaning  of  which  would 
have  been  better  understood  at  Naples,  under  the  shadow  of 
Vesuvius,  than  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio.  The  sun,  when  it 
rose,  looked  like  a  globe  of  red  hot  iron,  whose  color  brightened 
at  noon  to  resume  the  same  look  when  it  sank  below  the 
horizon.  All  day  long,  one  might  have  gazed  on  it  with  un- 
flinching eyes.  The  air  was  still  and  heated,  and  a  sense  of 
wreariness  was  the  characteristic  of  the  hours  as  they  wore 
slowly  by.  At  last,  and  when  a  nervous  impatience  affected 
every  one  on  board,  it  was  announced  one  morning  that  there 
had  been  a  rise  in  the  river  during  the  night.  There  was  an- 
other announcement  of  a  very  different  character:  Mrs. 
Roosevelt  had  become  a  mother.  The  events  of  the  voyage 
were  certainly  multiplying.  Morning  after  morning  the  rise 
in  the  river  during  the  night  was  reported,  and  finally  in  the 


196  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

last  week  in  November,  it  was  ascertained  that  the  depth  of 
water  in  the  shallowest  portion  of  the  Falls  exceeded  by  five 
inches  the  draft  of  the  boat.  It  was  a  narrow  margin,  but  the 
rise  had  ceased;  there  was  no  telegraph  in  those  days  to  tell 
hourly  what  was  the  weather  in  the  country  drained  by  the 
Ohio,  and  Mr.  Roosevelt,  assuring  himself  personally  of  the 
condition  of  the  Falls,  determined  to  take  the  responsibility 
and  go  over  them  if  he  could;  it  was  an  anxious  time.  All 
hands  were  on  deck.  Mrs.  Roosevelt,  whom  her  husband  would 
willingly  have  left  behind  to  join  him  below  the  Falls,  refused 
to  remain  on  shore  and  stood  near  the  stern.  Two  pilots,  for 
an  extra  one  had  been  engaged  for  the  passage  through  the 
rapids,  took  their  places  in  the  bow;  the  anchor  was  weighed. 
To  get  into  the  Indiana  Channel,  which  was  the  best,  a  wide 
circuit  had  to  be  made,  bringing  her  head  down  stream,  com- 
pleting which  the  "New  Orleans'7  began  the  descent.  Steerage 
way  depended  upon  her  speed  exceeding  that  of  the  current. 
The  faster  she  could  be  made  to  go,  the  easier  would  it  be  to 
guide  her.  All  the  steam  the  boiler  would  bear  was  put  upon 
her.  The  safety  valve  shrieked,  the  wheels  revolved  faster  than 
they  had  ever  done  before,  and  the  vessel,  speaking  figurative- 
ly, fairly  flew  away  from  the  crowds  collected  to  witness  her 
departure  from  Louisville.  Instinctively,  each  one  on  board 
now  grasped  the  nearest  object,  and  with  bated  breath  awaited 
the  result.  Black  ledges  of  rock  appeared  only  to  disappear 
as  the  "New  Orleans'7  flashed  by  them.  The  waters  whirled 
and  eddied,  and  threw  their  spray  upon  the  deck,  as  a  more 
rapid  descent  caused  the  vessel  to  pitch  forward  to  what  at 
times  seemed  inevitable  destruction.  Not  a  word  was  spoken ; 
the  pilots  directed  the  men  at  the  helm  by  motions  of  their 
hands.  Even  the  great  Newfoundland  dog  seemed  affected 
by  the  apprehension  of  danger,  and  came  and  crouched  at  Mrs. 
Roosevelt's  feet.  The  tension  on  the  nervous  system  was  too 
great  to  be  long  sustained.  Fortunately,  the  passage  was  soon 
made,  and  with  feelings  of  profound  gratitude  to  the  Almighty 
at  the  successful  issue  of  the  adventure,  on  the  part  of  Mr. 
Roosevelt  and  his  wife,  the  "New  Orleans"  rounded  to  in 
safety  below  the  Falls.  There  was  still  the  same  leaden  sky, 
the  same  dim  sun  during  the  day,  the  same  starless  night ;  but 
the  great  difficulty  had  been  overcome,  and  it  was  believed 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  197 

that  there  would  now  be  nothing  but  plain  sailing  to  the  port 
of  destination.  It  was  yet  to  be  seen  how  far  the  expectations 
of  those  on  board  in  this  respect  would  be  realized. 

"Hitherto,  the  voyage  had  been  one  of  pleasure.  Nothing 
had  marred  the  enjoyment  of  the  travelers.  The  reception  at 
Louisville  and  Cincinnati  had  been  great  events;  but  now 
were  to  come,  to  use  the  words  of  the  letter  already  referred 
to,  "those  days  of  horror."  The  comet  of  1811  had  disappeared 
and  was  followed  by  the  earthquake  of  that  year,  of  which  the 
atmospheric  phenomena  just  mentioned  were  the  prognostics. 
But  the  earthquake  accompanied  the  "New  Orleans"  far  on 
her  way  down  the  Mississippi. 

"The  first  shock  that  was  observed  was  felt  on  board  the 
"New  Orleans"  while  she  lay  at  anchor  after  passing  the 
Falls.  The  effect  was  as  though  the  vessel  had  been  in  motion 
and  had  suddenly  grounded.  The  cable  shook  and  trembled, 
and  many  on  board  experienced  for  the  moment  a  nausea  re- 
sembling seasickness.  It  was  a  little  while  before  they  could 
realize  the  presence  of  the  dread  visitor.  It  was  wholly  un- 
expected. The  shocks  succeeded  each  other  during  the  night, 
and  when  morning  came  the  voyage  was  resumed,  and  the 
monotonous  beating  of  the  wheels  and  the  steady  progress  of 
the  vessel  prevented  the  disturbance  from  being  noticed. 

"It  has  already  been  mentioned,  that  in  his  voyage  of  ex- 
ploration, Mr.  Roosevelt  had  found  coal  on  the  Ohio,  and  that 
he  had  caused  mines  to  be  opened  in  anticipation.  Their  value 
was  now  realized,  and  when  he  reached  them  on  his  way  down 
the  river,  he  took  on  board  as  much  coal  as  he  could  find  room 
for. 

"Some  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  the  diminished 
speed  of  the  current  indicated  a  rise  in  the  Mississippi;  this 
was  found  to  be  the  case.  The  bottom  lands  on  either  shore 
were  under  water,  and  there  was  every  sign  of  an  unwonted 
flood:  canoes  came  and  wrent  among  the  boles  of  the  trees. 
Sometimes  the  Indians  attempted  to  approach  the  steamboat, 
and  again  fled  on  its  approach.  The  Chickasaws  still  occupied 
that  part  of  the  State  of  Tennessee  lying  below  the  mouth  of 
the  Ohio,  and  on  one  occasion  a  large  canoe,  fully  manned, 
came  out  of  the  woods  abreast  of  the  steamboat.  The  Indians 
outnumbering  the  crew  of  the  vessel  paddled  after  it;  there 


198  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

i 

was  a  race  at  once,  and  for  a  time  the  contest  was  equal.  The 
result,  however,  was  what  might  have  been  expected;  steam 
had  the  advantage  of  endurance,  and  the  Indians  with  wild 
shouts,  which  might  have  been  shouts  of  defiance,  gave  up 
the  pursuit  and  turned  into  the  forest  from  whence  they  had 
emerged. 

"While  the  crew  of  the  "New  Orleans"  were  more  amused 
than  alarmed  at  this  incident  of  the  voyage,  Mr.  Roosevelt, 
who  had  not  forgotten  the  visit  to  the  flat  boat  on  the  prelimi- 
nary exploration,  was  not  sorry  now  when  he  lost  sight  of  the 
canoe.  That  he  bestowed  a  second  thought  upon  the  matter, 
illustrates  the  nervous  excitement  that  prevailed  on  board. 
Mrs.  Roosevelt  and  himself  were  discussing  the  adventure 
when  they  retired  to  rest;  they  had  scarcely  fallen  asleep, 
when  they  were  aroused  by  shouts  on  deck,  and  the  trampling 
of  many  feet.  With  the  idea  of  Indians  still  predominant,  Mr. 
Roosevelt  sprang  from  his  bed  and  seizing  a  sword — the  only 
weapon  at  hand — hurried  from  the  cabin  to  join  battle,  as  he 
thought  with  the  Chickasaws.  It  was  a  more  alarming  enemy 
that  he  encountered — the  "New  Orleans"  was  on  fire — and 
name  and  smoke  issued  from  the  forward  cabin.  The  servant 
who  attended  there  had  placed  some  green  wood  too  close  to 
the  stove  in  anticipation  of  next  day's  wants,  and  laying  down 
beside  it  had  fallen  asleep,  the  stove  becoming  overheated 
this  wood  had  taken  fire.  The  joiner's  work  close  by  had 
caught  fire,  and  the  entire  cabin  would  soon  have  been  in 
flames  had  not  the  servant,  half  suffocated,  rushed  on  deck 
and  given  the  alarm.  By  dint  of  great  exertion,  the  fire  which 
by  this  time  wras  making  rapid  headway  was  extinguished,  but 
not  until  the  interior  woodwork  had  been  either  destroyed,  or 
grievously  defaced.  Few  eyes  were  closed  for  the  remainder 
of  the  night,  nor  did  the  accident  tend  to  tranquilize  the  nerves 
of  the  travelers. 

"A  supply  of  provisions  had  been  taken  on  board  the 
"New  Orleans"  at  Louisville,  amply  sufficient  for  the  voyage 
to  Natchez,  and  this  was  occasionally  supplemented  by  pur- 
chases at  settlements  along  the  river.  These,  however,  were 
few  and  far  between,  and  not  at  all  to  be  relied  on.  The  crew 
accustomed  to  the  simple  fare  of  boatmen  on  the  Mississippi 
was  easily  provided  for;  the  commissariat  of  the  voyage, 


WESTERN"   RIVERS.  199 

therefore, — longer  than  a  voyage  to  Europe  now — gave  no 
trouble. 

"Early  in  the  afternoon  of  each  day  'the  steamer  was 
rounded  to  and  fastened  to  the  bank,  the  crew  going  ashore 
to  cut  the  wood  required,  after  the  coal  was  exhausted,  for  the 
next  day's  consumption.  On  some  of  these  occasions,  squat- 
ters came  on  board  with  tales  of  their  experience  upon  the 
land,  which  they  insisted  shook  and  trembled  under  their  feet. 
At  New  Madrid,  a  great  portion  of  which  had  been  engulfed, 
as  the  earth  opened  in  vast  chasms  and  swallowed  up  houses 
and  their  inhabitants,  terror-stricken  people  had  begged  to  be 
taken  on  board,  while  others,  dreading  the  steamboat  even 
more  than  the  earthquake,  hid  themselves  as  she  approached. 
To  receive  the  former  was  impossible.  The  would-be  refugees 
had  no  homes  to  go  to,  and  ample  as  was  the  supply  of  pro- 
visions for  Mr.  Roosevelt  and  his  wife,  it  would  have  been 
altogether  insufficient  for  any  large  increase  of  passengers, 
and  as  to  obtaining  provisions  on  the  way,  the  "New  Orleans" 
might  as  well  have  been  upon  the  open  sea.  Painful  as  it  was, 
there  was  no  choice  but  to  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  the  cries  of  the 
terrified  inhabitants  of  the  doomed  town. 

"One  of  the  peculiar  characteristics  of  the  voyage  was  the 
silence  that  prevailed  on  board.  No  one  seemed  disposed  to 
talk,  and  when  there  was  any  conversation  it  was  carried  on 
in  whispers,  almost. 

« 'Tiger,'  who  appeared  alone  to  be  aware  of  the  earth- 
quake while  the  vessel  was  in  motion,  prowled  about  moan- 
ing and  growling,  and  when  he  came  and  placed  his  head  on 
Mrs.  Roosevelt's  lap,  it  was  a  sure  sign  of  a  commotion  of 
more  than  usual  violence.  Orders  were  given  in  low  tones, 
and  the  usual  cheerful  'aye,  aye,  Sir'  of  the  sailors  was 
almost  inaudible.  Sleeplessness  was  another  characteristic. 
Sound,  continuous  sleep  was  apparently  unknown.  Going 
ashore  for  wood  was  the  event  of  each  24  hours,  and  was 
looked  forward  to  by  the  crew  with  satisfaction,  notwith- 
standing the  labor  it  involved;  and  yet  the  men,  if  not  sullenly, 
toiled  silently;  and  if  the  earth  shook,  as  it  often  did,  while 
they  were  at  work,  the  uplifted  axe  was  suspended,  or  placed 
quietly  on  the  log,  and  the  men  stared  at  each  other  until  it 
ceased.  Nor  was  this  depression  confined  to  the  steamer;  flat 


200  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

boats  and  barges  were  passed  whose  crews  instead  of  bandy- 
ing river  wit  as  they  had  done  when  met  on  the  voyage  from 
Pittsburg  to  Louisville,  uttered  no  word  as  the  "New  Orleans" 
passed  by.  Before  the  travelers  had  been  many  days  on  the 
Mississippi,  they  fancied  as  they  looked  at  each  other  that 
they  had  become  haggard.  Mrs.  Roosevelt  records  'that  she 
lived  in  a  constant  fright,  unable  to  sleep,  sew  or  read.' 

"Sometimes  Indians  would  join  the  woodchoppers,  and 
occasionally  one  would  be  able  to  converse  in  English  with  the 
men.  From  these  it  was  learned  that  the  steamboat  was  called 
the  "Penelore,"  or  "Fire  Canoe,"  and  was  supposed  to  have 
some  affinity  with  the  comet  that  had  preceded  the  earthquake, 
the  sparks  from  the  chimney  of  the  boat  being  likened  to  the 
train  of  the  celestial  visitant.  Again  they  would  attribute  the 
smoky  atmosphere  to  the  steamer,  and  the  rumbling  of  the 
earth  to  the  beating  of  the  waters  by  the  fast  revolving  pad- 
dles. To  the  native  inhabitants  of  the  boundless  forest  that 
lined  the  river  banks,  the  coming  of  the  first  steamboat  was 
an  omen  of  evil,  and  as  it  was  a  precursor  of  their  own  expul- 
sion from  their  ancient  homes,  no  wonder  they  continued  for 
years  to  regard  all  steamboats  with  awe.  As  late  as  1834, 
when  the  emigration  of  the  Chickasaws  to  their  new  homes 
west  of  the  river  took  place,  hundreds  refused  to  trust  them- 
selves in  such  conveyances,  but  preferred  making  their  long 
and  weary  pilgrimage  on  foot. 

"One  of  the  most  uncomfortable  incidents  of  the  voyage 
was  the  confusion  of  the  pilot,  who  became  alarmed,  and  de- 
clared that  he  was  lost,  so  great  had  been  the  changes  in  the 
channel  caused  by  the  earthquake;  wrhere  he  had  expected  to 
find  deep  water,  roots  and  stamps  projected  above  the  surface, 
and  tall  trees,  that  had  been  guides,  disappeared;  islands  had 
changed  their  shapes,  cut-offs  had  been  made  through  what 
\was  forest  land  when  he  saw  it  last.  Still,  there  was  no 
choice  but  to  keep  on;  there  was  no  place  to  stop  at,  there 
was  no  possibility  of  turning  back. 

"In  the  first  part  of  the  voyage  when  the  steamboat 
rounded  to  at  night,  she  was  made  fast  to  the  river  bank,  but 
when  it  was  seen  that  trees  would  occasionally  topple  and 
fall  over,  as  the  ground  underneath  them  wras  shaken  or  gave 
way,  it  was  thought  safer  to  stop  at  the  foot  of  an  island, 


RIVERS.  201 

which,  might  serve  as  a  breakwater,  taking  care  the  trees  were 
far  enough  from  the  boat  to  obviate  apprehension  from  them. 
Once,  however,  when  such  a  fastening  had  been  made  and  a 
plank  carried  ashore,  and  the  wood-chopping  had  been  finished 
at  an  earlier  hour  than  usual,  a  new  experience  was  had.  No 
shock  had  been  felt  during  the  day,  and  Mrs.  Koosevelt  an- 
ticipated a  quiet  rest.  In  this,  however,  she  was  disappointed. 
All  night  long  she  was  disturbed  by  the  jar  and  noise  pro- 
duced by  hard  objects  grating  the  planking  outside  the  boat. 
At  times  severe  blows  were  struck  that  caused  the  vessel  to 
tremble  through  its  entire  length;  then  there  would  follow  a 
continuous  scratching,  mingled  with  the  gurgling  sound  of 
water.  Driftwood  had  caused  sounds  of  the  same  sort  before, 
arid  it  was  thought  driftwood  was  again  busy  in  producing 
them.  With  morning,  however,  came  the  true  explanation. 
The  island  had  disappeared,  and  it  was  the  disintegrated  frag- 
ments sweeping  down  the  river  that  had  struck  the  vessel, 
from  time  to  time,  and  caused  the  noises  that  Mrs.  Roosevelt 
had  been  disturbed  by.  At  first  it  was  supposed  that  the  "New 
Orleans"  had  been  borne  along  by  the  current,  but  the  pilot 
pointed  to  land  marks  on  the  banks,  which  proved  that  it  was 
the  island  that  had  disappeared  while  the  steamboat  had  kept 
its  place.  Where  the  island  had  been  there  was  now  a  broad 
reach  of  the  river,  and  when  the  hawser  was  cut,  for  it  was 
found  impossible  otherwise  to  free  the  vessel,  the  pilot  was 
utterly  at  a  loss  which  way  to  steer.  Some  flat  boats  were 
hailed,  but  they,  too,  were  lost;  their  main  effort  was  by  dint 
of  their  long  oars  to  keep  where  the  current  was  the  strongest. 
This  was  evidently  the  best  plan  for  the  "New  Orleans";  it  was 
not  without  its  peculiar  risks,  however,  in  the  bends,  where 
the  rushing  waters  struck  the  shore  to  whirl  around  the  curve, 
and  glance  off  to  form  a  bend  in  an  opposite  direction;  the 
deepest  water  was  immediately  under  the  bank,  and  here  the 
trees,  undermined  by  the  current,  would  be  seen  at  times  to 
sink  into  the  stream  often  erect  until  the  waters  covered  their 
topmost  twigs,  sometimes  falling  against  each  other,  inter- 
lacing their  great  arms,  as  strong  men  might  do  struggling 
for  life  when  drowning:  sometimes  they  fell  outward  into  the 
water,  and  then  woe  to  the  vessel  that  happened  to  be  near 
them  in  the  bend.  This  danger,  however,  steam  enabled  the 


202  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

"New  Orleans"  to  avoid.  Referring  to  it  all,  it  is  not  wonder- 
ful that  the  survivor  of  the  voyage  still  speaks  of  it  as  'one  of 
anxiety  and  terror.' 

"As  the  "New  Orleans"  descended  the  river  it  passed  out 
of  the  region  of  the  earthquake,  and  the  .principal  incon- 
venience was  the  number  of  shoals  and  snags,  and  "sawyers." 
These  were  all  safely  passed,  and  the  vessel  came  in  sight  of 
Natchez,  and  rounded  to  opposite  the  landing  place.  Expect- 
ing to  remain  here  for  a  day  or  two,  the  engineer  had  allowed 
his  fires  to  go  down,  so  that  when  the  boat  famed  its  head  up 
stream  it  lost  headway  altogether,  and  was  being  carried  down 
by  the  current  far  below  the  intended  landing.  Thousands 
were  assembled  on  the  bluff  and  at  the  foot  of  it,  and  for  a 
moment  it  would  have  seemed  that  the  "New  Orleans"  had 
achieved  what  she  had  done  so  far,  only  that  she  might  be 
overcome  at  last.  Fresh  fuel,  however,  was  added — the  engine 
was  stopped  that  steam  might  accumulate,  and  presently  the 
safety,  valve  lifted — a  few  turns  of  the  wheels  steadied  the 
boat,  and  a  few  more  gave  her  headway,  and  overcoming  even 
the  Mississippi  current,  she  gained  the  shore  amid  shouts  of 
exultation  and  applause. 

"The  romance  of  the  voyage  ended  at  Natchez,  where  the 
same  hospitalities  were  extended  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roosevelt 
that  had  been  enjoyed  at  Louisville.  From  thence  to  New  Or-, 
leans  there  was  no  occurrence  worthy  of  note." 

Xlt  is  known  the  "New  Orleans"  arrived  at  the  city  of 
that  name  about  January  12th,  1812,  and  about  a  week  later 
was  placed  on  the  route  between  New  Orleans  and  Natchez,  for 
passengers  and  freight,  which  service  she  continued  to  per  form 
until  July  14th,  1814$vhen,  while  lying  a  few  miles  above  Baton 
Rouge  over  night,  and  the  water  in  the  river  having  fallen,  it 
was  found  in  the  morning,  upon  preparing  to  resume  her  trip 
up  the  river  to  Natchez,  that  she  was  lodged  on  a  stump,  and, 
while  working  to  free  her  from  the  perilous  situation,  a  leak 
was  sprung,  sinking  her  in  a  short  time:  no  lives  were  lost. 
Her  speed  was  about  three  miles  per  hour  against  the  current 
of  the  river. 

In  1813,  Daniel  French,  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  altered  a  river 
barge,  giving  her  more  freeboard  by  building  up  her  sides, 
into  which  he  placed  an  engine  constructed  by  himself.  This 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  203 

vessel  was  about  twenty-five  tons  burden,  called  the  "Comet,1' 
and  was  owned  by  Daniel  1).  Smith.  She  went  as  far  as  Louis- 
ville in  the  summer  of  the  same  year,  and  during  the  next 
year  went  to  New  Orleans.  She  made  a  few  voyages  between 
the  latter  city  and  Natchez,  after  which  she  was  sold,  her 
engine  taken  out  and  put  up  in  a  cotton  mill,  and  her  hull 
broken  up. 

In  December,  1813,  the  "Vesuvius''  was  launched  from 
the  shipyard  of  Fulton  &  Livingston,  at  Pittsburg,  Pa.  This 
was  a  side-wheel  boat  of  153  feet  long  by  28  feet  6  inches 
beam  and  9  feet  4  inches  depth  of  hold,  and  6  feet  6  inches 
draft  of  water,  with  an  engine  similar  to  that  in  the  "New7 
Orleans.''  She  had  below  the  main  deck  a  ladies'  cabin, 
and  on  the  main  deck  a  house  about  60  feet  in  length, 
fitted  with  about  60  berths.  Her  boiler  was  in  the 
hold  of  the  vessel,  and  the  freight  was  carried  below  the 
main  deck.  Her  speed,  as  developed  upon  her  trial  trip,  was 
eight  miles  per  hour  with  the  current.  In  the  spring  of  1814, 
she  was  placed  on  Ihe  route  between  Louisville  and  New 
Orleans,  and  her  time  from  Pittsburg  to  New  Orleans  was  260 
hours. 

In  July,  of  the  same  year,  she  started  from  New  Orleans 
for  Louisville,  but  was  grounded  on  a  sand  bar  TOO  miles  up 
the  Mississippi,  where  she  remained  until  the  3d  of  December 
following,  when,  being  floated  off  by  the  tide,  she  returned  to 
NewT  Orleans.  In  1815  and  1816  she  made  regular  trips  for 
several  months  from  New  Orleans  to  Natchez.  During  the  lat- 
ter year,  wrhile  approaching  New  Orleans  with  a  valuable 
cargo  on  board,  she  took  fire  and  was  burned  to  the  water's 
edge.  After  being  submerged  for  several  months,  her  hull  was 
raised  and  she  was  again  fitted  for  service.  She  was  subse- 
quently in  the  Louisville  trade,  and  was  condemned  in  1819. 

The  "Vesuvius,"  with  some  other  boats  of  Fulton's  com- 
panies, believed  to  have  been  the  "New  Orleans,"  the  "Etna," 
and  the  "Buffalo,"  were  under  contract  with  the  U.  S.  Govern- 
ment during  the  war  with  England  at  this  period,  for  the 
transportation  of  troops  and  munitions  of  war  on  the  western 
rivers.  The  former  vessel  while  in  service  got  aground  from 
a  fall  of  water  in  the  river,  remaining  in  that  situation  for 


204  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

nearly  three  months,  for  which  her  owners  claimed  a  re- 
muneration from  the  IT.  S.  Government  equal  to  the  profits 
they  might  have  made  in  that  time,  had  she  not  been  impressed 
and  taken  for  the  service  of  the  government.  This  matter, 
with  some  other  claims  by  the  heirs  of  Robert  Fulton  against 
the  government,  was  the  subject  of  a  bill  passed  in  Congress 
in  July,  1846,  for  their  settlement. 

The  "Enterprise"  was  built  at  Bridgeport,  on  the  Monon- 
gahela  River,  during  the  spring  of  1814,  for  the  New  Orleans 
and  Pittsburg  route.  This  was  a  stern-wheel  boat  of  80  feet 
in  length  and  29  feet  beam,  fitted  with  mast  and  sails,  as  were 
the  steamboats  of  this  date;  but  daring  the  winter  of  1814  the 
sails  and  rigging  were  laid  aside.  She  was  owned  by  parties 
at  Brownsville,  Pa.,  and  was  fitted  with  an  engine  constructed 
by  D.  French,  under  his  patent,  who  had  built  one  for  the 
"Comet"  in  1813.  On  her  trial  trip  she  attained  a  speed  of 
three  and  one-half  miles  per  hour  against  the  current  of  the 
Monongahela  River.  She  made  two  voyages  to  Louisville  in 
the  summer  of  1814,  and  in  December,  of  the  same  year,  con- 
veyed a  cargo  of  ordnance  stores  from  Pittsburg  to  New  Or- 
leans. While  at  the  last-named  port  she  was  pressed  into  ser- 
vice by  General  Jackson,  for  which  her  owners  were  after- 
wrards  paid  by  the  IT.  S.  Government,  and  while  engaged  in  this 
service  was  useful  in  transporting  troops,  arms,  and  munitions  >. 
of  war.  |>She  left  New  Orleans  for  Pittsburg  on  the  6th  of  May,  Q. 
1815,  and  reached  Louisville  after  a  passage  of  25  days,  thus  ^<^ 
completing  the  first  steamboat  trip  ever  made  from  New 
Orleans  to  Louisville.  ^  At  the  time  this  trip  was  made,  the 
water  was  so  high  in  the  rivers  that  the  banks  in  many  places 
were  overflowed,  consequently  there  was  little,  if  no  current. 
The  "Enterprise"  was  able  to  make  her  way  up  without  much 
difficulty  by  running  through  the  "cut-offs,"  and  over  inun- 
dated fields  in  still  water.  In  view  of  these  favorable  circum- 
stances the  trip  was  not  generally  held  to  be  satisfactory,  the 
public  being  still  in  doubt  whether  a  steamboat  could  ascend 
the  Mississippi  when  that  river  was  confined  within  its  banks, 
and  the  current  as  rapid  as  when  at  its  average  depth.  Dur- 
ing the  spring  of  1815,  this  boat  made  a  trip  from  New  Orleans 
to  Natchez,  273  miles,  in  four  days,  against  an  unusually  strong 
current  then  running  in  the  Mississippi  River.  It  is  believed 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  205 

this  vessel  was  in  use  on  the  Father  of  Waters  until  about 
1819. 

In  July,  1814,  there  was  launched  from  Fulton  &  Com- 
pany's shipyard,  at  Pittsburg,  the  "Buffalo,"  which  was  de- 
signed to  run  between  Pittsburg  and  Louisville.  This  was 
one  of  the  steamboats  under  contract  with  the  U.  S.  Govern- 
ment at  the  same  time  with  the  "Vesuvius,"  and  the  "New 
Orleans"  and  others  of  the  Fulton  Company. 

The  following  copy  of  a  letter  of  Robert  Fulton  to  David 
Cook,  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  will  show  some  of  the  trials  and  vexa- 
tions attending  the  construction  of  steamboats  on  the  western 
rivers  by  the  early  promoters  of  the  enterprise.  The  letter  is 
written  from  New  York,  but  the  post-mark  is  from  Trenton, 
N.  J.,  on  the  day  following — January  25,  1815, — and  as  Fulton 
wras  at  this  time  engaged  in  a  legal  contest  with  parties  in  New 
Jersey  regarding  his  steamboat  interests,  it  is  more  than  prob- 
able that  he  was  at  Trenton  when  he  mailed  this  letter: 

NEW  YORK,  January  24,  1815. 
Mr.  Cook: 

DEAR  SIR — After  writing  you  yesterday  I  received  your  let- 
ter of  the  13th  inst.,  from  which  I  find  I  do  not  yet  correctly 
understand  the  complicated  and  disastrous  affairs  of  the  "Buf- 
falo." You  say  the  amount  of  debts  due  workmen  and  others 
left  unpaid  by  Mr.  Latrobe  amount  to  *|9,600.  Mr.  Latrobe 
makes  claim  of  *f  6,000.  Mr.  Stoudinger  states  in  his  estimate 
that  it  will  require  to  finish  her  and  her  freight  boat,  to  make 
them  good  and  serviceable,  *f  13,000.  Mr.  Latrobe  has  received 
of  the  stockholders,  $37,000;  of  me  about  f  1,600.  Total  for 
one  boat,  f  67,200. 

Is  this  the  true  statement — that  is,  are  the  three  sums 
marked*  correct? 

To  give  me  a  clear  and  correct  view  of  the  facts,  let  me 
know  by  return  of  post,  or  as  soon  after  as  possible. 

First — What  is  the  amount  of  all  demands  from  workmen 
and  others  against  the  "Buffalo?" 

'Second — What  the  total  amount  of  Mr.  Latrobe's  de- 
mand, and  for  what?  Apply  to  him  for  it. 

Third — How  much  will  it  require  to  complete  her  and  her 
freight  boat,  kitchen  and  furniture  and  every  outfit  included? 


206  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

With  this  information,  I  can  judge  of  her  total  cost,  the 
sums  required,  and  whether  it  be  practicable  to  procure  them. 
Until  such  information  arrives,  3-011  cannot  do  anything  for  the 
"Buffalo."  I  have  no  funds  of  her  company.  But  proceed  with 
all  despatch  to  finish  the  "Etna"  and  get  her  off.  I  have  made 
such  arrangements  for  her  payments  and  all  sums  due  by  her 
owners  that  the  whole  shall  be  paid  before  June,  the  major 
part  in  much  less  time,  hence  the  creditors  of  the  "Vesuvius" 
and  "Etna"  need  have  no  concern.  You  will  also  proceed  with 
the  "New  Orleans"  and  "Natchez"  hull,  for  which  her  company 
will  provide  as  required. 

As  to  Mr.  O'Hara's  land,  on  which  Mr.  Latrobe  built  shops, 
T  cannot  purchase  it,  howrever  advantageous.  I  am  tired  of  dis- 
tant operations,  nor  will  the  Ohio  Company  purchase  it;  they 
are  alarmed  and  disgusted  with  the  expenses  and  state  of  their 
affairs. 

The  whole  expense  of  the  shops  and  tools  erected  and 
constructed  by  Mr.  Latrobe,  without  my  sanction,  advice  or 
consent,  must  not  be  admitted  into  his  accounts.  The  cost  of 
the  boats  and  machinery  in  their  present  state,  and  his  salary 
for  the  time  he  was  employed,  is  all  that  can  be  admitted. 
Please  answer  me  fully  on  these  points  without  delay,  particu- 
larly on  the  first  question.  Yours, 

ROBT.  FULTON. 

When  do  you  think  the  "Etna"  will  start  and  the  "New 
Orleans"  be  launched?* 

In  1814,  the  "Etna"  was  built  of  the  same  dimensions  as 
the  "Vesuvius,"  at  Fulton's  yard,  and  wras  intended  to  run  in 
connection  with  the  latter  vessel,  between  Pittsburg  and  Louis- 
ville, to  form  a  through  line  from  Pittsburg  to  New  Orleans. 
She  was  subsequently  under  contract  with  the  IT.  S.  Govern- 
ment at  New  Orleans. 

There  was  launched  at  Bridgeport,  Pa.,  in  the  summer  of 
1815,  the  "Despatch,"  owned  by  the  "Monongahela  &  Ohio 
Steamboat  Company,  the  same  parties  wrho  owned  the  "Enter- 
prise.'- Her  engine  was  designed  and  constructed  by  I). 
French,  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  and  was  intended  for  a  fast  boat  of 

*The  original  letter  is  now  in  the  possession  of  the  Author  of 
this  work. 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  207 

that  day,  but  whether  she  ever  fulfilled  the  expectations  of  her 
owners,  there  is  no  record. 

In  the  same  year  there  was  built  at  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  by 
George  White,  under  the  direction  and  superintendence  of 
Capt.  Henry  M.  Shreve,  the  steamboat  "Washington."  Her 
length  was  148  feet,  and  her  engines  were  constructed  at 
Brownsville,  Pa.  The  entire  construction  of  the  boat  com- 
prised various  innovations,  which  were  suggested  by  the  in- 
genuity and  experience  of  Capt.  Shreve.  This  vessel  was  the 
first  "two-decker"  on  the  western  waters ;  the  cabin  was  placed 
between  the  decks.  It. had  been  the  general  practice  to  place  the 
boilers  in  the  hold,  but  Capt.  Shreve  placed  them  in  this  vessel 
on  deck,  which  arrangement  was  found  such  an  improvement 
that  the  practice  has  been  continued  to  this  day  on  the  western 
river  boats.  The  engines  constructed  for  Fulton's  vessels,  or 
under  his  patent,  had  upright  and  stationary  cylinders,  while  in 
French's  engines*  vibrating  cylinders  were  used.  Capt.  Shreve 
had:  the  cylinder  of  the  "Washington"  placed  in  a  horizontal 
position,  and  gave  the  vibrations  to  the  pitman,  or  connecting 
rod.  Fulton,  and  French  used  single  and  low-pressure  en- 
gines. Shreve  employed  a  high-pressure  engine,  24  inches 
diameter  by  6  feet  stroke.  This  was  the  first  engine  of  that 
kind  ever  used  on  the  western  rivers.  David  Prentice  had 
previously  used  cam-wheels  for  working  the  valves  of  the 
cylinder.  Capt.  Shreve  added  his  invention  of  the  cam  cut-off; 
also  flues  to  the  boilers,  by  which  three-fifths  of  the  fuel  was 
saved. 

On  the  24th  of  September,  1816,  the  "Washington"  passed 
over  the  Falls  of  the  Ohio  on  her  first  trip  to  New  Orleans,  and 
returned  to  Louisville  in  November  following.  Wrhile  at  New 
Orleans,  the  ingenuity  of  her  construction  excited  the  admira- 
tion of  the  most  intelligent  citizens  of  that  place.  Edward 
Livingston,  after  a  critical  examination  of  the  boat  and  her 
machinery,  remarked  to  Capt.  Shreve:  "You  deserve  well  of 
your  country,  young  man,  but  we  (referring  to  Fulton  and 
Livingston's  monopoly),  shall  be  compelled  to  beat  you  in  the 
courts,  if  we  can." 

*In  all  probability,  this  D.  French  was  the  first  builder  of  an 
oscillating  engine  for  marine  purposes.  He  was  in  Mew  York  pre- 
vious to  his  building  engines  on  the  Ohio  River. 


208  WESTERN"    KIVEES. 

V  An  accumulation  of  ice  in  the  Ohio  compelled  the  "Wash- 
ington" to  remain  at  the  Falls  until  March  12,  1817.  On  that 
day  she  commenced  her  second  voyage  to  New  Orleans.  She 
accomplished  this  trip  and  returned  to  Shippingsport,  at  the 
foot  of  the  falls,  in  forty-one  days.  The  ascending  voyage  was 
made  in  twenty-five  days. 

It  was  now  practically  demonstrated  to  the  satisfaction 
of  the  public  in  general,  that  steamboats  could  ascend  this 
river  in  less  than  one-fourth  the  time  which  the  barges  and 
keel-boats  had  required  for  the  same  purpose.X  This  feat  of 
the  "Washington"  produced  almost  as.  much  popular  excite- 
ment and  exultation  in  that  region  as  the  battle  of  New  Or- 
leans. The  citizens  of  Louisville  gave  a  public  dinner  to  Capt. 
Shreve,  at  which  he  predicted  the  time  would  come  when  the 
trip  from  New  Orleans  to  Louisville  would  be  made  in  ten 
days.  Although  this  may  have  been  regarded  as  a  boastful 
declaration  at  that  time,  the  prediction  has  'been  more  than 
fulfilled;  for  even  in  1853  the  trip  was  made  in  four  days,  nine 
hours  and  thirty-one  minutes. 

V  After  that  memorable  voyage  of  the  "Washington,"  all 
doubts  and  prejudices  in  reference  to  steam  navigation  were 
removed,  xf  Shipyards  began  to  be  established  in  every  con- 
venient locality,  and  the  business  of  steamboat  building  was 
vigorously  prosecuted.  But  a  new  obstacle  now  presented 
itself,  which,  for  a  time,  threatened  to  give  an  effectual  check 
to  the  spirit  of  enterprise  and  progression  which  had  just  been 
developed.  We  refer  to  the  claims  made  by  the  interests  of  Ful- 
lon  and  Livingston  to  the  exclusive  right  of  steam  navigation 
en  some  of  the  rivers  of  the  United  States.  This  claim  being  re- 
sisted by  Capt.  Shreve,  the  "Washington"  was  attached  at  New 
Orleans,  and  taken  possession  of  by  the  sheriff.  When  the  case 
came  for  adjudication  before  the  District  Court  of  Louisiana, 
that  tribunal  promptly  negatived  the  exclusive  privileges 
claimed  by  Livingston  and  Fulton,  which  were  decided  to  be 
unconstitutional.  The  monopoly  claims  of  Livingston  and 
Fulton  were  finally  withdrawn  in  1819,  and  the  last  restraint 
on  the  steamboat  navigation  of  the  western  rivers  was  thus 
removed,  leaving  western  enterprise  and  energy  at  full  liberty 
to  carry  on  the  great  work  of  its  improvement.  This  work  had 
so  progressed,  that  in  1856  no  less  than  eight  hundred  steam- 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  209 

boats  were  in  constant  operation  on  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
and  their  tributaries. 

It  was  on  this  steamboat  that  the  first  explosion  of  a 
marine  boiler  occurred  on  the  western-  rivers.  Before  she  had 
taken  her  place  on  the  route  to  New  Orleans,  and  while  on  the 
Ohio  River  on  June  9,  1810,  the  head  of  one  of  the  boilers  blew 
out,  killing  eight  and  scalding  seven  persons,  among  the  latter 
being  Capt.  Shreve  and  the  chief  engineer.  The  cause  of  this 
explosion  was  the  slipping  of  the  safety-valve  weight  to  the 
end  of  the  lever,  thereby  permitting  an  over-pressure  of  steam 
to  accumulate  in  the  boilers. 

The  subject  of  the  steamboat  monopoly,  held  by  Fulton 
and  Livingston,  would  appear  to  have  received  the  attention 
of  the  legislature  of  Orleans  about  the  time  the  "Wash- 
ington" was  enjoined  from  navigating  the  western  rivers,  by 
the  following  report,  made  by  a  committee  of  the  House  of 
Representatives,  of  the  Territory  of  Orleans,  January  18th, 
1817: 

"Regarding  the  expediency  of  repealing  an  Act  of  the 
Legislature  of  the  Territory  of  Orleans,  granted  to  Robert  R. 
Livingston  and  Robert  Fulton,  the  sole  privilege  of  using 
steamboats  for  a  limited  time. 

"Your  committee  of  Commerce  and  Manufactures,  to  whom 
had  been  referred  the  resolution  for  the  purpose  of  inquiring 
whether  it  would  be  proper  to  repeal  the  charter  granted  by 
the  legislature  of  this  State,  in  the  year  1811,  to  Robert  R.  Liv- 
ingston and  Robert  Fulton,  have  examined  the  subject  with 
due  attention,  and  beg  leave  to  make  the  following  report : 

"Messrs.  Livingston  and  Fulton,  after  having,  in  the  year  • 
1811,  obtained  the  charter  which  grants  to  them  the  exclusive 
privilege  of  navigating  the  Mississippi,  with  vessels  propelled 
by  steam,  have  used  the  utmost  activity  and  exertions  in  order- 
to  put  it  in  execution. 

"In  the  year  1812,  the  citizens  of  this  State  witnessed,  for 
the  first  time,  the  magnificent  spectacle  exhibited  by  the  steam- 
boat "New  Orleans,"  navigating  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi. 
They  soon  were  enabled  to  appreciate  the  manifold  advan- 
tages which  result  from  that  sublime  invention,  so  happily 
protected  by  the  State.  The  first  of  those  advantages,  and 
the  one  which  was  most  lively,  was  the  facility  and  promptness 


210  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

of  the  intercourse  between  the  most  distant  parts  of  the  State, 
which  that  new  means  of  conveyance  affords,  and  next,  the  re- 
duction which  took  place  in  the  price  of  freight.  Your  com- 
mittee owe  it  to  justice  and  truth  to  say,  that  the  privileged 
owners  immediately  complied  with  that  part  of  the  charter, 
which  made  it  their  duty  to  show  whether  the  steamboat  "New 
Orleans"  possessed  all  the  necessary  qualifications  in  order  to 
enable  them  to  make  use  of  their  privilege,  and  to  establish  a 
rate  of  freight,  by  one-fourth  less  considerable  than  that  which 
was  customary  between  Natchez  and  New  Orleans.  The  an- 
nexed certificate  signed  by  Messrs.  Thos.  Urquhart,  William 
Donaldson,  Jacob  Trimble,  B.  Chew  and  L.  P.  Seguin  proves 
that  those  formalities  were  complied  with  on  the  19th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1812.  Encouraged  by  this  success,  the  owners  soon  gave 
us  another  steamboat,  and  in  1813  the  "Vesuvius"  appeared 
at  New  Orleans.  She  was  followed  in  1814  by  the  "Etna." 
However,  the  company  experienced  very  severe  losses.  Every 
one  knows  the  "New  Orleans"  was  wrecked  in  1814,  and  that 
the  "Vesuvius'"  was,  in  1816,  consumed  by  fire  in  the  port 
of  this  city.  These  losses  were  soon  repaired.  A  new  boat, 
bearing  the  same  name,  wras  built  in  this  port  in  1816,  in  the 
place  of  the  one  wrecked,  and  we  all  witnessed  the  "Vesuvius" 
springing  up  again  from  her  ashes  in  the  space  of  two  or  three 
months,  much  to  the  credit  of  the  skill  of  our  shipbuilders,  and 
of  the  zeal  of  the  company;  that  fine  boat,  although  she  was 
launched  but  a  few  weeks  ago,  is  now  nearly  ready  to  get  into 
operation. 

"The  committee,  whose  inquiries  have  enabled  them 
to  ascertain  the  truth  of  the  facts  just  stated,  far  from  think- 
ing it  useful  or  necessary  to  repeal  the  charter  of  the  company, 
do,  on  the  contrary,  think  that  they  ought  to  be  encouraged 
by  all  possible  means.  Four  years  have  already  elapsed  since 
the  privilege  was  granted,  and  we  have  already  seen  in  this 
State  five  steamboats  which  contribute  to  give  life  and  pros- 
perity to  commerce.  Have  we  not  every  reason  to  hope,  that  in 
a  few  years  hence,  we  shall  have  a  sufficient  number  of  them 
to  allow  us  to  carry  on  with  the  Western  States  a  trade  which 
cannot  fail  to  be  extremely  advantageous  to  this?  Hitherto, 
States  that  come  and  bring  the  fruits  of  their  soil  and  industry 
here,  used  to  draw  the  manufactured  goods  and  colonial  prod- 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  211 

uce  necessary  for  their  use  from  the  Atlantic  ports.  But  the 
expenses  of  transportation  are  so  considerable,  that  during  the 
late  war  a  great  number  of  barges  were  employed  at  a  very 
high  rate,  to  sail  up  the  river  to  carry  to  those  States  the  prod- 
uce of  Louisiana,  and  the  goods  from  foreign  importation. 
Nobody  can  entertain  a  doubt,  that  if  the  number  of  steam- 
boats was  sufficient  to  enable  us  to  supply  regularly  the 
countries  situate  on  the  western  streams,  those  countries 
would  soon  abandon  their  connections  with  the  Atlantic 
States,  and  draw  all  their  wants  exclusively  from  New  Or- 
leans. Such  an  outlet  for  the  commerce  of  Louisiana  is  very 
desirable,  and,  no  doubt,  the  surest  and  most  efficacious  means 
to  attain  that  end  is  to  encourage  the  company  which  may 
best  secure  its  success.  The  specie  which  the  people  of  the 
western  country  carry  home,  and  send  afterwards  to  the  north- 
ward, will  all  remain  here,  and  we  shall  soon  reach  that  degree 
of  prosperity  which  we  can  only  expect  from  an  extensive  com- 
merce with  the  interior  of  the  country. 

"Well  convinced  of  the  truth  of  the  above  statement,  your 
committee  could  not  avoid  reflecting  upon  the  motives  which 
had  induced  this  honorable  house  to  pass  the  resolution  of- 
fered to  them.  No  doubt,  the  member  who  introduced  that 
resolution,  must  have  thought  the  company  had  forfeited  their 
privilege  by  violating  some  of  the  provisions  of  their  charter. 
It,  therefore,  became  the  duty  of  your  committee  to  inquire  on 
that  subject.  The  result  of  their  inquiries  has  been  most 
favorable  to  the  company.  They  faithfully  abided  by  the  tariff 
of  freight  established  by  the  Commissioners,  whose  names  ap- 
pear at  the  foot  of  the  annexed  certificate,  and  your  committee 
do  not  learn  that  that  tariff  ever  was  departed  from  in  any  cir- 
cumstance. That  company  have  scrupulously  executed  all 
their  obligations.  Why  should  their  charter  be  repealed? 
Would  it  not  be  violating  the  faith  of  the  State,  upon  which 
that  company  must  have  relied,  when  they  entered  into  a  spec- 
ulation, which  has,  until  nowr,  occasioned  to  them  nothing  but 
enormous  losses?  Would  the  legislature  choose  to  operate 
their  ruin,  at  the  time  when  they  have  been  obliged  to  lay  out 
considerable  funds  for  the  re-building  of  the  boat  destroyed  by 
fire?  Such  an  act  on  the  part  of  a  private  individual  would 
justly  be  reprobated  by  the  laws:  and  not  a  legislature  could 


212  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

be  found  in  any  of  the  United  States,  so  little  acquainted  with 
their  duties  as  to  consecrate  it  by  a  statute. 

"Your  committee  are  therefore  of  opinion,  that  there  is  no 
motive  for  repealing  the  law,  which  grants  to  that  company  the 
exclusive  privilege  of  navigating  with  steamboats  for  a  limited 
time.  Signed,  P.  L.  MOREL, 

"Chairman." 

While  on  the  subject  of  the  exclusive  privilege  of  Living- 
ston and  Pulton  to  navigate  with  steam  vessels  the  waters  of 
the  Mississippi,  it  may  not  be  without  interest  that  the  follow- 
ing letter  will  be  read,  which  shows  the  circumstances  that  led 
to  the  introduction  of  steam  vessels  on  the  western  rivers. 
The  writer  of  the  letter  was  at  that  time  Governor  of  Or- 
leans: 

"New  Orleans,  January  25th,  1817. 

"In  reply  to  your  letter  of  the  22d  inst.,  I  can  only  give  you 
the  following  statement: 

"In  the  summer  of  1810,  being  in  the  city  of  Washington, 
I  became  acquainted  with  the  late  Mr.  Joel  Barlow,  and  had 
frequent  conversations  with  that  distinguished  man  on  sub- 
jects of  national  interest.  Mr.  Barlow  was  a  great  admirer  of 
the  talents  of  the  late  Mr.  Eobert  Fulton,  and  believed  that 
the  steam  navigation,  so  much  improved  by  Mr.  Fulton,  could 
be  brought  to  still  greater  perfection,  and  that  the  day  was 
not  far  distant  when  vessels  propelled  by  steam  would  be  em- 
ployed not  only  on  all  the  bays  and  rivers  of  the  United  States, 
but  also  in  the  coasting  trade.  He  made  inquiries  of  me  as  to 
the  difficulties  of  ascending  the  Mississippi,  and  particularly 
as  to  the  strength  of  the  current  in  high  water.  These  being 
answered  as  far  as  my  personal  knowledge  allowed  me,  Mr. 
Barlow  seemed  to  think  that  steamboats  might  be  introduced 
on  the  Mississippi  with  a  certainty  of  success.  On  this  point,  I 
expressed  some  doubts,  but  accompanied  them  with  a  wish  to 
see  the  experiment  made.  Mr.  Barlow  subsequently  opened  a 
correspondence  with  Mr.  Fulton  on  the  subject,  and  it  resulted 
in  an  invitation  from  Mr.  Fulton  to  me,  that  on  a  tour  which  I 
contemplated  making  through  the  Northern  States,  I  would 
take  Albany  iu  my  way,  and  ascend  the  North  River  in  one  of 
the  steamboats.  In  the  fall  of  1810,  I  went  on  to  New  York, 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  213 

and  the  morning  after  reaching  that  city  finding  a  boat  pro- 
ceeding to  Albany,  I  took  my  passage  in  her.  The  captain  hav- 
ing readily  satisfied  my  inquiries  as  to  the  machinery,  the 
force  of  the  steam,  and  the  speed  of  the  boat  through  still 
water,  my  doubts  as  to  the  practicability  of  stemming  the  cur- 
rent of  the  Mississippi  were  wholly  removed.  Keturning  from 
the  northward,  I  passed  several  days  in  New  York,  and  was 
much  gratified  with  several  interviews  which  I  had  with  Mr. 
Fulton  and  his  associate,  the  late  venerable  Chancellor  Liv- 
ingston. Those  gentlemen  were  strongly  urged  by  me  to  in- 
troduce the  steam  navigation  on  the  Mississippi,  with  assur- 
ances  of  my  entire  conviction  of  its  success,  and  the  most  lib- 
eral encouragement.  They  entertained  no  doubt  as  to  ultimate 
success  of  the  experiment,  but  spoke  of  the  great  expenditure 
and  heavy  advances  with  which  it  would  be  attended.  These 
they  were  unwilling  to  encounter,  unless  previously  assured  of 
the  protection  of  the  legislature  of  the  Territory  of  Orleans.  I 
inquired  as  to  the  nature  of  the  protection  desired,  and  was  in- 
formed: "An  exclusive  privilege  to  navigate  the  waters  of  the 
Mississippi,  passing  through  the  territory  of  Orleans,  with 
boats  propelled  by  steam,  was  the  only  condition  on  which 
they  would  embark  in  this  enterprise."  Much  conversation 
ensued  on  the  same  subject,  and  it  resulted  in  a  promise  on 
my  part  to  lay  before  the  territorial  legislature  a  petition  from 
Messrs.  Livingston  and  Fulton,  requesting  the  exclusive  privi- 
lege, and  a  promise  on  their  part,  that  if  it  were  granted  them 
by  an  act  of  the  legislature,  one  or  more  steamboats  should  be 
sent  to  New  Orleans  as  speedily  as  they  could  be  built. 

"In  January,  1811, 1  had  the  petition  before  the  territorial 
legislature,  and  recommended  it  to  their  early  and  respectful 
consideration.  The  act,  entitled  "An  act  granting  to  Kobert  R. 
Livingston  and  Robert  Fulton  this  sole  privilege  of  using 
steamboats  for  a  limited  time  in  the  territory,"  was  passed  on 
the  19th  day  of  April,  1811.  An  attested  copy  of  this  act  I 
immediately  transmitted  to  Messrs.  Fulton  and  Livingston, 
who,  in  fulfilment  of  their  promise,  did,  in  the  winter  of  1812, 
send  to  New  Orleans  the  steamboat  "New  Orleans,"  and  subse- 
quently three  others.  Shortly  after  the  arrival  of  the  first 
boat,  a  committee  of  five  respectable  merchants  in  the  city  of 
New  Orleans  was  assembled  by  me  for  the  purpose  of  ascer- 


214  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

taining  whether  the  requisites  of  the  law  had  been  complied 
with,  and,  further,  to  fix  the  rate  of  freight  which,  under  a  par- 
ticular provision  of  the  law,  the  boats  might  exact. 

"The  committee  reported  favorably,  and  settled  a  standard 
of  freight,  which  I  handed  to  the  agent  of  the  boat  for  his 
government. 

"Such  are  the  facts,  as  far  as  related  to  my  agency,  and  you 
are  at  liberty  to  use  them  as  you  shall  think  proper.  I  am,  Sir, 
very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"W.  C.  C.  CLAIBORNE. 

"J.  Lynch,  Esq.,  New  Orleans." 

The  first  towboat  in  service  on  the  Mississippi  River  was 
at  New  Orleans,  in  November,  1815,  for  towing  vessels  from 
the  mouth  of  the  river  up  to  the  city,  which  took  them  two  to 
three  days  to  perform. 

In  the  summer  of  1816,  the  "Oliver  Evans,"  of  75  tons,  was 
built  at  Pittsburg,  Pa.  She  was  122  feet  long,  and  a  side- 
wheeler,  and  was  considered  a  very  fine  boat  of  her  day  on  the 
Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers.  Her  name  was  a  short  time  af- 
ter changed  to  the  "Constitution."  On  May  4th,  1817,  while  on 
a  trip  up  the  Mississippi  River,  and  opposite  Point  Coupee, 
her  boiler  exploded,  resulting  in  the  loss  of  eleven  lives  and 
about  twenty  being  very  seriously  scalded. 

In  181.8,  the  "General  Pike"  wras  built  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
She  was  100  feet  keel,  25  feet  beam,  and  about  6  feet  hold. 
She  had  a  spacious  cabin  for  a  small  boat,  and  was  well  fur- 
nished wi1h  passenger  accommodations  for  those  days:  was 
run  between  Cincinnati  and  Louisville  in  1819,  and  was  com- 
manded for  a  portion  of  the  time  by  Capt.  Neziah  Bliss,  who 
was  in  after  years  interested  in  steam  navigation  in  the  waters 
of  New  York,  and  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Novelty  Iron 
Works  at  New  York  City. 

About  1820,  there  were  six  or  eight  boats,  of  about  200 
tons  each,  built  at  New  York  and  at-  Philadelphia,  and  sent 
to  New  Orleans  under  their  own  steam.  There  was  one  built 
at  New  York  in  1824,  named  "Post  Boy,"  for  towing,  that  had 
a  beam  engine  with  a  steam  cylinder  connected  at  each  end  of 
the  beam,  and  having  pistons  of  6  feet  stroke.  This  was  the 
first  of  that  type  "high  and  low-pressure"  engines  built  in  this 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  215 

country,  or  as  called  at  this  day,  compound  engines.  The  Al- 
laire Works  was  the  constructor. 

A  majority  of  the  first-class  steamboats  in  these  early  days 
were  commanded  by  imported  ship  captains,  from  the  Atlantic 
Coast,  or  Gulf  of  Mexico  ports,  and  but  few  of  them  succeeded 
with  the  wild-western  boatmen,  who  thought  those  far-fetched 
sailors  were  tyrannical  and  put  on  too  many  airs.  The  cap- 
tain, when  his  vessel  was  ready  to  leave  on  her  trip,  would 
mount  to  the  highest  point  of  observation  on  his  vessel  toward 
the  wharf,  and  from  there  would  give  his  orders  to  those  under 
his  command  through  a  small  metal  trumpet  (generally  of 
brass),  which  he  carried  in  his  hand.  In  fact,  this  custom  wras 
handed  down,  but  it  is  many  years  since  it  was  practised  on 
the  western  rivers,  as  well  as  along  the  Atlantic  Coast.  The 
crews  handled  their  cargoes  without  much  hired  outside  help. 
The  forecastle  was  the  eating  and  sleeping  place  for  the  deck 
hands,  and  it  was  comfortable  and  clean.  It  was  common  for 
a  crew  of  deck  hands  to  remain  on  a  boat  the  whole  season, 
and  at  a  subsequent  date  they  made  good  pilots  and  mates; 
also  many  firemen,  favorites  of  the  engineers,  became  good 
engineers.  It  was  not  thought  important,  at  that  time,  for  an 
engineer  to  have  a  classical  education,  as  the  builder  of  the 
engines  in  those  da}^s  set  the  cams  and  marked  the  safety-valve 
lever.  An  intelligent  fireman  soon  learned  how  to  line  the 
shafts,  how  to  keep  the  furnaces  in  order,  and  the  right  quan- 
tity of  water  in  the  boiler.  That  was  about  all  that  was  ex- 
pected of  engineers  for  high-pressure  engines  in  those  days. 

All  these  vessels,  up  to  about  1830,  were  built  heavy  in 
the  hull  like  a  sailing  vessel,  and  a  great  many  were  fitted  even 
with  bowsprits  and  figure-heads.  In  making  landings  at  any 
point  where  there  were  other  vessels,  they  had  to  be  carefully 
handled  to  prevent  doing  damage  with  their  bowsprits.  They 
could  not  land  head  on,  as  done  at  a  later  period  when  this  fix- 
ture had  been  dispensed  with,  but  would  come  in  slowly,  side- 
ways, and  thus  avoid  piercing  the  joiner  work  or  rails  of  any 
vessels  lying  at  the  landing. 

There  had  been  a  custom  prevailing  on  very  many  of  the 
river  boats,  of  the  barkeeper  furnishing  the  dinner  table  with 
spirituous  liquors,  brandy,  whiskey,  gin,  and  wines,  when  on 
a  trip  for  the  use  of  the  passengers  and  also  the  crew  up  to 


216  WESTERK    RIVERS. 

about  1838,  and,  in  addition,  the  officers  were  permitted  to 
have  all  the  liquor  they  desired  to  partake  of  at  the  bar  on 
board  the  boat,  and  the  crew  were  furnished  with  a  certain 
quantity  while  on  duty.  These  were  in  payment  of  the  privi- 
lege of  a  bar. 

In  a  report  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  of  1838,  to 
the  House  of  Representatives  on  steamboats,  etc.,  there  are  re- 
ports received  from  several  districts,  a  few  of  which  from  the 
Western  States  mention  the  use  of  spirituous  liquors  on  steam- 
boats by  the  officers  and  crew,  in  the  following  language: 
From  Louisville:  "There  is  a  practice  in  all  the  boats  on  the 
western  and  southwestern  waters  of  serving  out  to  the  crews 
intoxicating  liquors:  there  is  not  believed  to  be  a  single  ex- 
ception." From  the  Mississippi  District:  "The  use  of  spirituous 
liquors  on  board  of  boats  is  universal  in  this  trade.'7  Wheel- 
ing District,  referring  to  engineers  of  stationary  engines,  "that 
they  are  always  conducted  by  temperate  engineers,  which  is 
not  often  the  case  in  regard  to  boats. "  The  use  of  intoxicating 
liquors  by  the  officers  and  crew  of  steamboats,  at  this  date, 
was  not  confined  to  those  employed  on  the  western  rivers,  but 
the  practice  existed  in  a  more  modified  form  on  the  Atlantic 
Coast,  and  there  does  not  appear  to  be  any  record  that  the 
owners  of  these  steamboats  allowed  their  officers  and  crew 
that  freedom  in  the  use  of  spirituous  liquors  while  on  duty  that 
existed  on  the  western  river  steamboats.  It  is  not  to  be  de- 
nied that  there  were  accidents  on  the  Atlantic  Coast,  involving 
the  loss  of  life,  but  it  was  not  attributed  to  the  use  of  liquors 
b3T  the  officers  or  crew. 

In  1834,  Louisiana  passed  a  law  for  the  inspection  and 
government  of  steam  vessels  entering  or  plying  on  the  waters 
of  that  State.  This  was  brought  about  by  an  explosion  of  a 
quantity  of  gunpowder,  which  was  being  transported  as  freight 
on  the  "Lioness,"  in  1833,  when  forty  miles  above  Alexandria, 
on  the  Red  River,  resulting  in  the  death  of  fourteen  persons 
and  inj.u ring  twelve  others,  among  the  former  being  the  mem- 
ber of  the  U.  S.  Senate  from  Louisiana.  The  law  established 
the  office  of  State  p]ngineer,  whose  duty  it  was  to  examine  once 
in  every  three  months  the  strength  of  the  boilers  of  the  steam- 
boats within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  State;  to  test  them  by 
hydrostatic  pressure  to  three  times  the  pressure  of  steam  they 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  217 

were  supposed  to  carry.  In  case  of  accident,  the  boat,  not 
possessing  the  proper  certificate,  neither  captain,  owner,  or 
agent  could  recover  any  claim  for  freight;  and  the  captain  was 
subject  to  a  fine  of  not  less  than  foOO.OO,  nor  more  than  $2,- 
000.00.  and  to  imprisonment  for  not  less  than  three  months, 
nor  more  than  three  years.  If  lives  were  lost,  the  captain  was 
to  be  adjudged  guilty  of  manslaughter.  The  same  penalties 
were  provided  in  case  of  any  accident  in  navigation;  for  over- 
loading, racing,  carrying  higher  steam  than  the  certificate  al- 
lowed, or  any  accident  that  might  occur  while  the  captain, 
pilot,  or  engineer  was  engaged  in  gambling,  or  attending  to  any 
game  of  chance  or  hazard.  There  was  a  rule  also  made  as  fol- 
lows: In  passing  up  the  river,  the  descending  boat  was  com- 
manded to  shut  oft'  steam  and  float  down,  when  within  a  mile 
of  the  ascending  boat,  the  latter  to  assume  the  responsibility 
of  keeping  clear  of  the  descending  boat,  and  to  be  held  liable 
for  any  damage  occurring  from  collision. 

In  the  matter  of  rates  of  freight,  etc.,  on  the  early  steam- 
boats on  the  western  waters,  the  following  copy  of  an  affidavit 
made  at  the  time  the  claim  of  the  heirs  of  Eobert  Fulton  was 
before  the  United  States  Congress,  and  which  was  a  part  of 
the  papers  forming  the  claim,  will  be  accepted  as  authoritative 
on  the  subject. 

"I,  Jasper  Lynch,  of  the  city  of  New  York,  having  been 
requested,  in  behalf  of  the  heirs  of  the  late  Robert  Fulton,  to 
state,  under  oath,  first  the  facts  within  my  knowledge  as  to  the 
seizure  and  impressement  of  the  steamboat  "Vesuvius"  for  the 
use  of  the  government  at  the  invasion  of  New  Orleans  in  1814; 
and,  second,  my  opinion  as  to  the  probable  loss  to  her  owners 
by  the  detention  occasioned  in  consequence  of  her  grounding 
while  in  the  public  service,  and  being  duly  sworn,  do  depose 
and  say :  That  I  visited  New  Orleans  for  the  first  time  in  the 
spring  of  1816,  and,  of  course,  know  nothing  personally  in  re- 
spect to  the  fact  of  the  seizure  and  detention  of  the  boat  in 
1814. 

"I  went  to  New  Orleans,  as  sole  agent  of  the  steamboat 
uNew  Orleans/'  trading  between  New  Orleans  and  Natchez, 
and  shortly  after  my  arrival  there,  became  the  sole  agent  of 
the  steamboat  " Vesuvius"  above  mentioned,  which  two  boats  I 
employed  on  the  river  until  the  autumn  of  1818,  with  the  ex- 


218  WESTERN"   RIVERS. 

ception  of  an  interval  of  about  eight  months,  during  which  I 
rebuilt  the  "Vesuvius,"  which  was  burned  in  1816,  after  she 
came  into  my  possession,  and  the  ownership  thereby  cast  on 
me. 

"It  would,  in  my  opinion,  be  difficult  to  assign  a  limit,  pre- 
serving the  appearance  of  credibility,  to  the  amount  of  money 
which  the  steamboat  "Vesuvius"  might  have  earned,  if  afloat 
during  the  season  of  navigation  and  business,  from  November, 
1814,  to  July,  1815,  before  and  after  the  scene  of  bustle  grow- 
ing out  of  the  invasion  of  New  Orleans.  I  should  not  estimate 
it  at  less  than  $100,000.  This,  I  am  aware,  will  appear  extrava- 
gant to  those  unacquainted  with  the  prices  of  freight  and  pas- 
sage on  the  Mississippi,  and  the  situation  of  New  Orleans  at 
that  time.  Application  has  been  made  to  me  for  the  last  two 
or  three  years,  for  a  written  statement  under  oath,  on  this 
subject.  I  have  been  averse  to  making  it,  because  I  knew,  un- 
accompanied by  the  facts  and  reasons  from  which  I  deduced 
my  estimate  or  conclusion,  it  might  bear  the  stamp  of  extrava- 
gance or  improbability.  I  had  hoped  that  an  opportunity 
might  be  afforded  of  giving  testimony  orally,  and  of  explaining 
them  more  fully  and  satisfactorily  than  could  be  done  on 
paper.  In  justice,  therefore,  to  myself,  as  well  as  for  the  in- 
formation of  those  whom  it  may  concern,  I  will  now  state 
them. 

)(  "On  my  arrival  in  NewT  Orleans,  in  1816, 1  found  the  follow- 
ing prices  of  freight  in  steamboats  on  the  Mississippi  estab- 
lished, I  believe,  by  the  legislature  of  Louisiana  in  1812: 

"From  New  Orleans  to  Louisville,  4%  cents  per  pound  for 
heavy  goods,  and  6  cents  for  light,  averaging  5  cents  per  pound, 
or  per  ton,  $112.00. 

"From  New  Orleans  to  Natchez,  %  of  a  cent  per  pound,  or 
$1.50  per  barrel:  and  the  same  rates  were  charged  for  all  the 
intermediate  landings — Donaldsonville,  75  miles;  Baton  Kouge, 
120  miles,  etc.,  or  per  ton,  $15.00. 

-"From  New  Orleans  to  Louisville,  passage,  $125.00A 

"From  New  Orleans  to  Natchez,  passage,  $30.00.  And 
half  price  for  passage  down. 

"These  rates  continued  uniform;  I  never  received  less,  and 
they  were  not  reduced  till  1819. 

"The  tonnage  of  the  'Vesuvius'  was,  as  nearly  as  I  can 


WESTERN  TIIVERS.  219 

recollect,  394  tons  (Custom  House),  and  she  carried  over  1,300 
bales  of  cotton,  averaging  400  pounds  each.  She  was,  at  that 
time  (1814),  a  new  ;boat  just  from  Pittsburg,  and  the  only 
steamboat  at  New  Orleans,  or  indeed  on  the  river  and,  of 
course,  without  competition  as  to  freight  or  price;  her  speed 
through  the  water  was  eight  miles  an  hour.  From  these  facts 
an  estimate  may  be  made  of  the  amount  she  could  have  earned. 
A  boat  of  the  same  tonnage,  at  the  above  rates,  without  com- 
petition and  under  like  circumsta-nces  on  the  Hudson,  would, 
T  have  no  doubt,  greatly  exceed  the  estimate  I  have  made.  The 
cases  are  not  dissimilar.  I  employed  this  boat  between  New 
Orleans  and  Louisville  during  the  seasons  of  1817  and  1818,  at 
the  above  rates.  I  have  not  at  present  the  advantage  of  refer- 
ence to  my  books ;  but  I  well  recollect  that  one  trip  made  in  the 
spring  of  1817,  from  New  Orleans  to  Louisville  and  back,  she 
was  absent  from  New  Orleans  about  forty  days,  and  her  re- 
turns were  about  f  800  a  day  for  the  whole  time." 

"JASPER  LYNCH." 
"Borne,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb'y  29,  1836." 

In  a  report  made  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  on 
December  12th,  1838,  by  request  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives, for  information  regarding  steamboats,  causes  of  ex- 
plosions, etc.,  the  following  regarding  the  progress  of  steam 
navigation  of  western  rivers  appears  as  a  portion  of  the  re- 
port: 

"On  the  western  and  southwestern  waters  alone,  near  400 
are  now  supposed  to  foe  runaing,  where  none  were  used  till 
1811,  and  where,  in  1834;  the  nu»m;ber  was  computed  to  be  only 
234.  Of  these  400,  about  141  are  estimated.  On  the  Ohio  River 
alone,  in  1837,  about  413  different  steamboats  are  reported  to 
have  passed  through  the  Louisville  and  Portland  Canal,  be- 
sides all  below  and  above,  which  never  passed  through.  But 
it  deserves  notice  that  of  those  413,  nearly  60  went  out  of  use 
by  accidents,  decay,  etc.,  within  that  year,  and  several 
of  the  others,  viz.:  104  were  i\ew,  and  many  of  them  prob- 
ably were  destined  to  run  on  other  rivers.  As  an  illus- 
tration of  the  rapid  increase  in  business  in  steamboats  on 
the  Ohio,  the  number  of  passages  by  them  through  the  Louis- 
ville Canal  increased  from  406,  in  1831,  to  1,501,  in  1837,  or 


220  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

nearly  four-fold  in  six  years.  The  largest  boats  passing  Louis- 
ville, in  1837,  were  the  "Uncle  Sam,"  of  447  tons,  and  the 
"Mogul,"  of  414  tons;  though  below  Louisville,  the  "Mediter- 
ranean," of  490  tons,  and  the  "North  America,"  of  445  tons, 
on  the  Ohio,  and  the  "St.  Louis,"  of  550  tons,  on  the  Mississippi, 
are  running.  The  greatest  loss  of  life,  well  authenticated  on 
any  one  occasion  in  a  steamboat,  appears  to  have  been  by 
collision  and  consequent  sinking  in  the  case  of  the  "Mon- 
mouth,"  in  1837,  on  the  Mississippi  Elver,  by  which  300  lives 
were  lost.  The  next  greatest  were  by  explosions — of  the  "Oro- 
noko,"  in  1838,  on  the  same  river,  by  which  130  or  more  lives 
were  lost,  and  of  the  "Moselle,"  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  by  which 
100  to  120  persons  were  destroyed.  The  greatest  injury  to  life, 
by  accidents  to  boats  from  snags  and  sawyers,  appears  to  have 
'been  13  lost  in  1834,  in  the  case  of  the  "St.  Louis"  on  the 
Mississippi  River." 

David  Stevenson,  an  English  engineer,  in  1838,  says  of 
steam  navigation  on  western  rivers:  "Most  of  the" vessels  at 
present  employed  have  been  built  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio, 
and  a  few  at  St.  Louis,  on  the  upper  part  of  the  Mississippi, 
but  the  building  yards  which  have  produced  the  greatbsb  num- 
ber are  those  of  Pittsburg  and  Cincinnati,  on  the  Ohio.  Pitts  - 
burg,  although  about  2,000  miles  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  is  a 
place  of  great  trade.  Its  population  is  30,000  persons,  a  great 
part  of  whom  are  employed  in  the  construction  and  manage- 
ment of  steamboats,  and  some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  ex- 
tent of  their  trade,  when  I  state  that  I  have  counted  no  less 
than  thirty-eight  steamboats  moored  opposite  the  town  in  the 
Monongahela,  all  of  which  were  engaged  in  plying  to  and  from 
the  port?)L 

"The  vast  number  of  vessels  on  the  western  waters,  the 
peculiarity  of  their  construction,  and  the  singular  nature  of 
the  navigation  of  which  they  are  employed,  make  them  objects 
of  considerable  interest  to  the  traveler.  We  must  not  expect, 
to  find,  however,  in  that  class  of  vessels  the  same  display  of 
good  workmanship,  and  the  attainment  of  the  high  velocities 
which  characterize  the  vessels  on  the  eastern  waters.  These 
qualifications  may  be  easily  dispensed  with,  and  the  want  of 
them  is  by  no  means  the  worst  feature  in  the  western  naviga- 
tion ;  but,  what  is  of  far  more  importance,  too  many  of  the  ves- 


WESTERN    RIVERS. 

sels  are  decidedly  unsafe,  and,  in  addition  to  this,  their  man- 
agement is  intrusted  to  men  whose  recklessness  of  human  life 
and  property  is  equalled  only  by  their  ignorance  and  want  of 
civilization. 

"Economy  would  indeed  seem  to  be  the  only  object  which 
the  constructors  of  these  boats  seem  to  have  in  view,  and,  there- 
fore, with  the  exception  of  the  finery  which  the  cabins  general- 
ly display,  little  care  is  expended  in  their  construction,  and 
much  of  the  workmanship  connected  with  them  is  of  a  most 
superficial  and  insufficient  kind.  When  the  crews  of  these 
frail  fabrics,  therefore,  engage  in  brisk  competition  with  other 
vessels,  and  urge  the  machinery  to  the  utmost  extent  of  its 
power,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  their  exertions  are  often 
suddenly  terminated  by  the  vessel' taking  fire  and  going  to  the 
bottom,  or  by  an  explosion  of  the  steam  boilers.  Such  acci- 
dents are  frequently  attended  with  an  appalling  loss  of  life, 
and  are  of  so  common  occurrence  that  they  generally  excite 
little  or  no  attention.  A  steamer  called  the  "Ben  Sherrod" 
was  burned  on  the  Mississippi,  when  120  persons  were  re- 
ported to  have  lost  their  lives.  I  am  happy  in  being  able  to 
add,  that  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  in  consequence  of  this 
accident,  the  Government  of  the  United  States  have  resolved 
to  take  some  measures  to  insure  the  better  regulation  of  this 
navigation,  which  has  been  too  long  neglected  by  them. 

"The  vessels  on  the  western  waters  vary  from  100  to  700 
tons  burden,  and  are  generally  of  a  heavy  build  to  enable  them 
to  carry  goods;  they  have  a  most  singular  appearance,  and 
are  no  less  remarkable  as  regards  their  machinery.  They  are 
built  flat  in  the  bottom,  and  generally  draw  from  six  to  eight 
feet  of  water.  (?)  The  hull  is  covered  with  a  deck  at  the  level  of 
about  five  feet  above  the  water,  and  below  this  deck  is  the 
hold,  in  which  the  heavy  part  of  the  cargo  is  carried.  The 
whole  of  the  machinery  rests  on  the  first  deck;  the  engines  be- 
ing placed  near  the  middle  of  the  vessel,  and  the  boilers  under 
the  two  smoke  chimneys.  The  fire-doors  open  towards  the 
bow,  and  the  bright  glare  of  light  thrown  out  by  the  wood 
fires,  along  with  the  puffing  of  the  steam  from  the  escapement 
pipe,  produce  a  most  singular  effect  at  night,  and  serve  the 
useful  purpose  of  announcing  the  approach  of  the  vessel  when 
it  is  still  at  a  great  distance.  The  chief  object  in  placing  the 


WESTERN    RIVERS. 

boilers  in  the  manner  described,  is  to  produce  a  strong- 
draught  in  the  fireplace.  The  other  end  of  the  lower  deck, 
which  is  covered  in,  and  occupied  by  the  crew  of  the  vessel 
and  the  deck  passengers,  generally  presents  a  scene  of  filth 
and  wretchedness  that  baffles  all  description.  A  staircase 
leads  from  the  front  of  the  paddle  boxes  on  each  side  of  the 
vessel,  to  an  upper  gallery  about  three  feet  in  breadth.  This 
surrounds  the  whole  after  part  of  the  vessel,  and  is  the  prome- 
nade of  the  inhabitants  of  the  second  deck.  Several  doors 
lead  from  the  gallery  into  the  great  cabin,  which  extends  from 
the  funnels  to  within  about  thirty  or  forty  feet  of  the  stern  of 
the  vessel:  the  aftermost  space  is  separated  from  the  great 
cabin  by  a  partition,  and  is  occupied  by  the  ladies.  The  large 
cabin  contains  the  gentlemen's  sleeping  berths,  and  is  also 
used  as  a  dining  room.  This  part  of  the  western  steamers  is 
often  fitted  up  in  a  gorgeous  style;  the  berths  are  large,  and 
the  numerous  windows  by  which  the  cabin  is  surrounded  give 
abundance  of  light,  and  what  is  of  great  consequence  in  that 
scorching  climate,  admit  a  plentiful  supply  of  fresh  air. 

"From  the  gallery  surrounding  the  chief  cabin,  two  flights 
of  steps  lead  to  the  hurricane  deck,  which  in  many  of  the 
steamers  is  at  least  thirty  feet  above  the  level  of  the  water. 
The  wheelhouse  in  which  the  steersman  is  placed,  is  erected 
on  the  forepart  of  this  deck,  and  the  motion  is  communicated 
to  the  helm  by  means  of  ropes  or  iron  rods,  as  in  the  eastern 
steamers. 

"The  first  cabin  of  a  Mississippi  steamboat  is  strangely 
contrasted  with  the  scenes  of  wretchedness  on  the  lower  deck, 
and  its  splendor  serves,  in  some  measure,  to  distract  the  at- 
tention of  its  unthinking  inmates  from  the  dangers  which  lie 
below  them.  But  no  one  who  is  at  all  acquainted  with  the 
steam  engine,  can  examine  the  machinery  of  one  of  those  ves- 
sels, and  the  manner  in  which  it  is  managed,  without  shudder- 
ing at  the  idea  of  the  great  risk  to  which  all  on  board  are 
every  moment  exposed. 

"The  western  water  steamers  are  propelled  sometimes  by 
one,  and  sometimes  by  two,  engines.  When  two  engines  are 
used  the  ends  of  the  piston  rods  work  in  slides,  and  the  con- 
necting rods  are  both  attached  to  cranks  on  the  paddle-wheel 
axle,  placed  at  right  angles  to  each  other,  as  is  the  case  in 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  223 

most  of  the  steamers  in  this  country.  When  only  one  engine  is 
used;  which  is  more  generally  the  case,  a  large  fly  wheel,  from 
ten  to  fifteen  feet  in  diameter,  is  fixed  on  the  paddle-wheel 
shaft,  arid  serves  to  regulate  the  motion  of  the  engine,  and 
enable  it  to  turn  its  centres.  The  cylinders  are  invariably 
placed  horizontally,  and  the  engines  always  constructed  on 
the  high-pressure  principle. 

"The  engines  are  generally  very  small  in  proportion  to  the 
size  of  the  vessel  which  they  propel,  and  to  make  up  for  their 
deficiency  in  volume,  they  are  worked  by  steam  of  great  elas- 
ticity. The  "Rufus  Putnam,"  for  example,  a  pretty  large  ves- 
sel, drawing  three  feet  of  water,  which  plies  between  Pitts- 
burg  on  the  Ohio,  and  St.  Louis  on  the  Mississippi,  is  propelled 
by  a  single  engine  having  a  cylinder  16  inches  diameter,  and 
5  feet  6  inches  in  length  of  stroke,  but  this  engine  is  worked  by 
steam  of  a  most  dangerously  great  elasticity.  The  captain  of 
the  vessel  informed  me  that  under  ordinary  circumstances 
the  safety  valves  were  loaded  with  a  pressure  equal  to  138 
pounds  on  the  square  inch  of  surface,  but  that  the  steam  was 
occasionally  raised  as  high  as  150  pounds  to  enable  the  vessel 
to  pass  parts  of  the  river  in  which  there  is  a  strong  current: 
and  he  added  by  way  of  consolation,  that  this  amount  of  pres- 
sure was  never  exceeded,  except  on  extraordinary  occasions! 
I  made  a  short  voyage  on  the  Ohio  in  this  vessel,  but  after  re- 
ceiving this  information,  I  resolved  to  leave  her  on  the  first 
opportunity  that  presented  itself. 

"The  'St.  Louis,'  one  of  the  newest  boats  on  the  Mississippi, 
is  230  feet  in  length  on  deck,  and  28  feet  in  breadth  of  beam. 
She  draws  8  feet  of  water  and  carries  atoout  1,000  tons.  This 
vessel  is  propelled  by  two  engines,  with  cylinders  30  inches  in 
diameter  and  10  feet  in  length  of  stroke,  worked  by  steam  hav- 
ing a  pressure  of  100  pounds  on  the  square  inch  of  the  boilers. 

"Explosions,  as  may  naturally  be  supposed,  are  of  very 
frequent  occurrence;  and,  with  a  view  to  cure  this  evil,  sev- 
eral attempts  have,  at  different  periods,  been  made  to  intro- 
duce low-pressure  engines  on  the  western  waters,  but  the 
cheapness  of  high-pressure  engines  and  the  great  simplicity  of 
their  parts,  which  require  comparatively  little  fine  finishing 
and  good  fitting,  certainly  afford  reasons  for  preferring  them 
to  low-pressure  engines,  in  a  part  of  the  country  where  good 


224: 


WESTERN    RIVERS. 


workmen  are  scarce,  and  where  the  value  of  labor  and  material 
is  very  great.  It  must  also  be  recollected,  that  a  condensing 
or  low-pressure  engine,  takes  up  a  great  deal  more  space  than 
one  constructed  on  the  high-pressure  principle.  I  do  not  ap- 
prehend, however,  that  the  number  of  accidents  would  be 
diminished  by  the  simple  adoption  of  low-pressure  boilers, 
without  the  strict  enforcement  of  judicious  regulations,  and 
if  those  regulations  were  properly  applied  to  high-pressure 
boilers,  they  would  not  fail  to  render  them  quite  as  safe  as 
those  boilers  which  are  generally  made  for  engines  working 
on  the  low-pressure  principle.  One  very  obvious  improvement 
on  the  present  Jiazardous  state  of  the  Mississippi  navigation, 
would  be  the  enactment  of  a  law  that  a  pressure  of  steam 
should  in  no  case  exceed  perhaps  50  pounds  on  the  square  inch. 

"The  boilers  of  these  steamers  are  all  tubular,  and  have 
circular  flues  in  them  which  permit  the  passage  of  the  flame 
through  the  body  of  the  boiler.  Those  of  the  "St.  Louis"  are 
nine  in  number ;  they  are  42  inches  diameter  and  24  feet  in 
length;  two  circular  flues,  16  inches  in  diameter,  pass  through 
the  interior.  The  whole  of  the  flues  and  outercoating  of  the 
boiler  are  made  of  sheet  iron  three-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in 
thickness,  and  the  end  plates  are  formed  of  materials  of 
greater  strength.  The  boiler  is  strengthened  by  numerous  in- 
ternal ties,  or  braces,  and  is  calculated  to  sustain  a  pressure 
of  100  pounds  on  the  square  inch  of  surface.  The  only  pro- 
tection which  the  boilers  have  from  the  atmosphere  is  a  layer 
of  clay,  with  which  they  are  in  all  cases  covered,  to  prevent 
the  radiation  of  heat. 

"The  steamers  make  many  stoppages  to  take  in  goods 
and  passengers,  and  also  supplies  of  wood  for  fuel.  The  lib- 
erty which  they  take  with  their  vessels  on  these  occasions  is 
somewhat  amusing,  and  not  a  little  hazardous.  I  had  a  good 
example  of  this  on  board  of  a  large  vessel,  called  the  "On- 
tario." She  was  sheered  close  in  shore  among  stones  and 
stumps  of  trees,  where  she  lay  for  some  hours  taking  in  goods. 
The  additional  weight  increased  her  draught  of  water  and 
caused  her  to  heel  a  great  deal,  and  when  her  engines  were 
put  in  motion,  she  actually  crawled  into  deep  water  on  her 
paddle  wheels.  The  steam  had  been  got  up  to  an  enormous 
pressure  to  enable  her  to  get  off,  and  the  volumes  of  steam 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  225 

discharged  from  the  escapement  pipe  at  every  half-stroke  of 
the  piston,  made  a  sharp  sound,  almost  like  the  discharge  of 
firearms,  while  every  timber  in  the  vessel  seemed  to  tremble, 
and  the  whole  structure  actually  groaned  under  the  shocks. 

"During  these  stoppages,  it  is  necessary  to  keep  up  a  proper 
supply  of  water  to  prevent  explosion,  and  the  manner  in  which 
this  is  effected  on  the  Mississippi  is  very  simple.  The  paddle- 
wheel  axle  is  so  constructed  that  the  portions  of  it  projecting 
over  the  hull  of  the  vessel  to  which  the  wheels  are  fixed,  can 
be  thrown  out  of  gear  at  pleasure  by  means  of  a  clutch  on 
each  side  of  the  vessel,  which  slides  on  the  intermediate  part 
of  the  axle,  and  is  acted  on  by  a  lever.  When  the  vessel  is 
stopped,  the  paddle  wheels  are  simply  thrown  out  of  gear 
and  the  engine  continues  to  wrork.  The  necessary  supply  of 
water  is  thus  pumped  into  the  boiler  during  the  whole  time 
that  the  vessel  may  be  at  rest,  and  when  she  is  required  to 
get  under  way,  the  wheels  are  again  thrown  into  gear  and  re- 
volve with  the  paddle-wheel  shaft.  The  fly  wheel,  formerly 
noticed,  is  useful  in  regulating  the  motion  of  the  engine,  which 
otherwise  might  be  apt  to  suffer  damage  from  the  increase  and 
diminution  in  the  resistance  offered  to  the  motion  of  the  pis- 
tons, by  suddenly  throwing  the  paddle  wheels  into  and  out  of 
gear.  The  water  for  the  supply  of  the  boiler  is  first  pumped 
into  a  heater,  in  which  its  temperature  is  rafsed,  and  is  then 
injected  into  the  boiler. 

"I  saw  several  vessels  on  the  Ohio,  which  were  propelled 
by  one  large  paddle  wheel  placed  at  the  stern  of  the  vessel, 
but  it  is  doubtful  whether  this  arrangement  is  advantageous, 
as  the  action  of  the  paddle  wheel,  when  placed  in  that  situa- 
tion, must  be  impeded  by  the  floatboards  impinging  on  water 
which  has  been  disturbed  by  the  passage  of  the  vessel 
through  it. 

"The  Mississippi  steamers  carry  a  captain,  clerk,  two  en- 
gineers, and  two  pilots,  one  of  whom  is  always  at  the  helm. 
The  fireman  and  the  crew  are  people  of  color,  and  generally 
slaves.  The  passage  from  New  Orleans  to  Pittsburg,  against 
the  current  of  the  river,  is  generally  performed  in  from  15  to 
20  days,  and  from  Pittsburg  to  New  Orleans  in  about  10  days: 
the  distance  is  rather  more  than  2,000  miles,  and  the  cabin 
.passage,  including  all  expenses,  is  about  f  50.00." 


226  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

The  BaronDe  Gerstner,  traveling  through_the  United 
States  about  1840,,  says : 

"The  largest  shipyards  are  at  Louisville,  New  Albany, 
Cincinnati,  Pittsburg  and  St.  Louis.  Upon  the  Ohio  Eiver, 
stone  coals  are  now  brought  by  steamboats  two  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  down  to  Cincinnati;  or,  rather,  the  flatboats  loaded 
with  coal  are  taken  in  tow  and  brought  down  the  river  by 
steamboats,  and  the  empty  barks  taken  back  in  the  same  way, 
because  the  cost  of  transportation  is  found  to  be  less  in  this 
manner.  It  is  true,  the  extremely  high  wages  of  the  boatmen 
and  all  other  laborers,  contribute  much  to  this  extraordinary 
result,  but,  as  I  shall  have  occasion  to  show  hereafter,  the 
crew  of  a  steamboat  is  also  very  well  paid,  and  it  is  to  be 
ascribed  entirely  to  the  perfection  in  the  construction  of  the 
vessels,  and  the  engines  used  in  them,  and  in  the  application  of 
steam,  as  also  to  the  improved  arrangements  in  the  steamboats 
generally,  that  they  have  produced  in  America  the  results 
which  have  been  arrived  at  neither  in  England,  nor  in  any 
other  part  of  Europe. 

"The  Americans  boast  of  a  system  of  navigable  streams 
in  the  Southern  and  Southwestern  States,  not  to  be  met  with 
in  any  other  country  of  the  globe;  they  maintain  that  the 
length  of  the  Mississippi,  with  the  Ohio  and  all  other  tributary 
streams,  comprises  an  extent  of  100,000  miles  (?)  of  waters 
navigable  by  steamboats.  I  would  not  answer  for  the  correct- 
ness of  this  number,  but  the  Mississippi  alone  is  navigated  by 
steamboats  from  New  Orleans,  under  the  thirtieth  degree,  to 
the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  under  the  forty-fifth  degree  of  North 
latitude,  a  distance  of  not  less  than  2,000  miles,  and  the  num- 
ber of  navigable  tributary  streams  of  the  Mississippi  is  indeed 
so  large,  that  a  European,  who  is  accustomed  to  our  short 
travels  by  steamboats,  can  only,  by  being  an  eye  witness,  con- 
ceh:g  the  magnitude  of  the  system  of  steam  navigation  in  this 
country  ^y  There  are  daily  at  least  four  or  five  steamboats 
starting  from  New  Orleans  for  Pittsburg  in  the  business  sea- 
son, and  as  many  arrive  daily.  The  distance  is  2,000  miles, 
or  two-thirds  of  that  from  England  to  New  York  across  the 
Atlantic,  and,  nevertheless,  the  voyage  is  regarded  as  nothing- 
extraordinary,  and  is  undertaken  after  a  few  hours  prepara- 
tion.N 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  227 

"The  steamboats  in  the  West,  or  upon  the  western  waters, 
are  throughout  very  flat,  and  go,  when  loaded,  generally  five 
feet  deep;  some,  however,  only  thirty  to  thirty-six  inches. 
When  the  water  in  a  river  is  only  thirty  inches  deep,  the 
steamboat  contains  only  the  engine  and  fuel  and  the  cabins 
for  the  men,  and  flatboats  loaded  with  goods  are  taken  in 
tow.  The  passenger  boats  have  two  decks,  the  upper  one  is 
for  the  cabin  passengers.  The  elegant  boats  contain  a  large, 
splendidly  furnished  and  ornamented  saloon,  used  as  the 
dining  room,  and  an  adjoining  saloon  for  the  ladies.  The 
saloons  are  surrounded  by  small  apartments  (state  rooms), 
each  of  which  contains  two  berths,  and  round  the  state  rooms 
is  an  open  gallery,  to  which  a  door  opens  from  each  state 
room.  Such  a  vessel  offers  to  a  European  an  imposing  and 
entirely  novel  aspect.  All  steamboats  upon  the  western  waters 
have  high-pressure  engines,  the  pressure  of  steam  being  from 
60  to  100  pounds  per  square  inch.  Often  two  engines  are  used 
in  a  boat,  and  then  each  engine  propels  one  of  the  paddle 
wheels.  The  cylinders  are  horizontal,  the  stroke  is  8  to  10 
feet,  and  the  steam  is  generally  cut  off  at  five-eighths  of  the 
stroke,  and  then  operates  by  expansion.  The  escaping  steam 
is  applied  to  heat  the  water  pumped  from  the  river  before  it 
gets  into  the  boiler. 

J'ln  the  year  1818,  a  cabin  passenger  paid  for  a  passage  in 
a  steamboat,  from  New  Orleans  to  Louisville,  a  distance  of 
1,450  miles,  $120,  and  for  returning,  $70;  the  passage  up  took 
20  days  and  down  10  days;  at  present,  cabin  passengers  pay  in 
the  most  elegant  steamboats,  $50  for  a  passage  up,  and  $40  for 
one  down  stream,  while  they  go  up  in  six,  and  down  in  four- 
days.  The  charges  include  boarding,  which,  considering  the 
abundance  and  choice  of  victuals,  &c.,  ought  to  be  estimated  -  <; 
at  $2.00  per  passenger  per  day.  The  fare  is,  therefore,  now,  ^ 
for  the  passage  alone,  taking  the  average  betweep^"  trip  up 
and  down  (excluding  board),  2.41  cents  per  mile.  Less  elegant 
boats  take  cabin  passengers  up  in  eight  days  for  $30,  and  for 
$25  down  in  five  days,  which,  after  deducting  $1.50  per  day  for 
board,  gi^es  only  1.22  cents  per  mile  at  an  average  between  a 
trip  up  and  down. 

"Upon  the  lower  deck  of  these  steamboats,  which  is  a  few 
feet  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  are  the  deck  passengers, 


228  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

who  provide  their  own  meals,  and  pay  for  the  same  passage 
of  1,450  miles  only  $8.00;  if  they  assist  the  crew  in  carrying 
the  wood  upon  the  boat,  they  pay  only  $5.00.  In  the  former 
case  they  pay,  therefore,  per  mile,  0.55  cents./ 

"Merchandise  was  carried  before  the  introduction  of 
steam  navigation  in  sailing  vessels,  which  took  a  load  of  150 
tons^in  the  year  1817,  the  charge  for  freight  per  pound, 
from  New  Orleans  to  Louisville,  was  seven  to  eight  cents;  in 
1819,  the  steamboats  commenced  carrying  freight,  and  imme- 
diately reduced  the  charge  to  four  cents  per  pound.  At  pres- 
ent, the  charges  per  one  hundred  weight,  from  New  Orleans  to 
Louisville,  are,  according  to  the  quality  of  the  goods  and  the 
season,  at  least  33  cents,  and  the  most  $1.50.  At  an  aver- 
age, they  may  be  taken  at  62%  cents  for  the  distance  of  1,450 
miles.  This  makes  86  cents  per  ton  per  mile.^ 

^("Between  Cincinnati  and  Louisville,  the  first  steamboat, 
"General  Pike,"  was  put  in  operation  in  1819,  and  made  weekly 
a  voyage  down  to  Louisville,  150  miles,  in  18  hours,  and  up 
again  to  Cincinnati  in  40  hours.  A  cabin  passenger  paid  at 
that  time  $12  for  a  passage.  At  present,  the  steamboats  have 
so  much  increased  in  number  that  at  least  six  boats  are  daily 
starting  from  and  arriving  at  Cincinnati  or  Louisville.  Upon 
the  finest  boats,  as,  for  instance,  the  "Pike"  and  "Franklin," 
the  fare  is  $4.00,  and  the  time  occupied  in  going  up  is, 
including  all  stoppages,  15  hours,  and  in  going  down 
only  11  hours;  but  these  boats  have  frequently  made  a 
passage  up  in  12,  and  a  passage  down  the  river  in  T1/^  hours; 
in  the  latter  case,  the  speed  was,  therefore,  over  20  miles  per 
hour.  If  $1.00  be  deducted  for  .board,  there  remain  $3.00  for 
a  passage,  which  is  at  the  rate  of  two  cents  per  mile.  The 
deck  passengers,  who  assist  in  taking  in  wood,  pay  only  $1.00, 
or  two-thirds  of  a  cent  per  mile,  and  find  their  own  victuals. 
For  merchandise,  the  charges  are  15  cents  per  one  hundred 
weight,  or  two  cents  per  ton  per  mile.^ 

\  "From  Cincinnati  to  St.  Louis,  the  voyage  is  538  miles 
down  the  Ohio,  and  192  miles  up  the  Mississippi,  making,  to- 
gether, 730  miles.  The  passage  to  St.  Louis,  or  from  there 
back,  is  performed  in  four  days.  A  cabin  passenger  pays 
$12.00,  of  which  we  ought  to  deduct  at  least  $4.70  for  board; 
this  leaves  only  one  cent  per  mile  for  the  passage  alone,  The 


WESTERN    RIVERS. 

deck  passengers  pay  (400,  without  board,  which  makes  nearly 
one-half  cent  per  mile.  Goods  pay  at  an  average,  50  cents  per 
one  hundred  weight,  $1.37  per  ton  per  mil<^ 

V  "But  three  years  ago,  eight  days  were  required  for  a  trip 
from  New  Orleans  to  Louisville,  which  is  now  regularly  per- 
formed in  six£  The  most  remarkable  result  is,  that  a  boat  of 
400  tons  required,  20  years  ago,  for  this  voyage  of  1,450  miles, 
360  cords  of  wood,  while  at  present,  for  a  six  days'  passage, 
only  the  same  quantity  of  wood  is  required. 

"What  appears  most  striking  is, -that  while  the  charges 
for  transportation  have  been  constantly  reduced  during  20 
years,  wages  and  the  prices  of  all  commodities  rose  from  year 
to  year.  The  captain  of  a  steamboat  received,  20  years  ago,  a 
salary  of  f  1,000  per  year,  now  he  gets  upon  the  better  boats 
$2,000.  Every  steamboat  has  two  pilots,  who  change  every 
four  hours:  each  of  them  received,  in  1822,  only  $60  per 
month,  but  since  that  time  their  salary  has  risen,  and  was, 
jn  1833,  $300,  which  is  still  now  paid  to  the  pilots  of  the 
best  boats.  There  are  also  two  engineers  upon  each  steamboat, 
their  salary  was,  in  1822,  only  $40  per  month,  and  rose  in  con- 
sequence of  the  great  demand  for  engineers  to  $100  and 
$150.  The  fireman  and  common  laborers  received,  20  years 
ago,  only  $14  per  month,  and  now  get  $30  to  $40.  The 
whole  crew  besides  have  free  board  upon  the  steamboats. 
The  provisions  necessary  for  the  nourishment  of  the  passen- 
gers upon  the  steamboats  have  risen  in  price,  during  the  last 
five  years,  33  per  cent. 

"The  steamboats  upon  the  western  waters  use  almost  ex- 
clusively wood  as  a  fuel,  which,  20  years  ago,  was  quite  value- 
less; in  1834,  it  sold  on  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  for  $1.75  to 
$2.00  per  cord,  and  costs  at  present  $2.25  to  $3.50.  The  price 
has,  therefore,  increased  in  the  last  five  years  about  50  per 
cent. 

"The  steamboats  upon  the  western  waters,  whose  plan 
of  construction  might  be  adopted  to  great  advantage  upon  our 
rivers  in  Europe,  are  principally  constructed .  in  Louisville, 
Cincinnati  and  Pittsburg.  Generally,  the  hull  of  the  vessel  is 
built  by  ship  carpenters,  the  steam  engine  delivered  from  a 
manufactory  and  put  on  the  boat,  after  which  the  joiners  build 
the  cabins  and  finish  the  whole.  Three  different  classes  of 


230  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

mechanics  are,  therefore,  required,  with  whom  separate  con- 
tracts are  made.  There  are,  however,  individuals  who  under- 
take the  building  and  furnishing  of  a  whole  steamboat  by  con- 
tract. As  the  prices  differ  much,  according  to  the  solidity  and 
elegance  of  the  vessels,  the  cost  of  some  of  the  vessels  is  given, 
which  are  among  the  best. 

\  "Between  Cincinnati  and  Louisville,  the  two  steamboats, 
"Pike"  and  "Franklin,"  make  regular  trips,  carrying  the 
United  States  mail ;  one  of  the  two  goes  daily  up,  and  the  other 
down  the  river^  The  "Franklin"  is  183  feet  in  length  on  her 
deck,  and  the  extreme  width  is  25  feet,  the  depth  of  hold,  or 
the  distance  from  the  keel  to  lower  deck,  is  6%  feet.  The  ton- 
nage 200  tons.  Upon  the  upper  deck  are  42  state  rooms, 
each  with  two  berths,  making  in  all  84  berths;  but  mattresses 
are  laid  upon  the  floor  of  the  dining  room  when  required,  and 
150  cabin  passengers  may  sleep  upon  the  boat.  The  boat  is 
propelled  by  two  engines;  the  pressure  of  steam  is  80  pounds 
per  square  inch,  the  diameter  of  the  cylinders,  which  are  in  a 
horizontal  position,  is  25V->  inches,  the  stroke  being  seven 
feet.  The  steam  is  cut  off  at  five-eighths  of  the  stroke,  and 
acts  through  the  remaining  three-eighths  by  expansion.  The 
diameter  of  the  paddle  wheels  is  22  feet,  their  width  11  feet, 
the  dip  is  22  inches;  the  paddle  wheels  generally  make  28  revo- 
lutions in  a  minute;  the  length  of  the  connecting  rod  is  23 
feet.  There  are  six  boilers  of  wrought  iron  on  board  the 
boat,  each  23  feet  in  length,  and  60  inches  in  diameter;  each 
boiler  has  two  flues  of  15  inches  diameter.^ VjJIjA  -  i/CM\<s 
^At  an  average,  the  steamboat  carries  125  passengers,  one 
half  in  the  cabms,  and  the  other  half  on  deck,  and,  besides,  25 
tons  of  goodsAWith  this  load,  she  draws  six  feet  of  water 
The  boat  was  constructed  in  the  year  1836,  and  the  cost  was: 

For  the  hull,  at  |25.00  per  ton f  5,000 

"    two  steam  engines 12,000 

"    joiners'  work  for  cabins 4,000 

"  draperies,  mirrors,  bedding  and  other' 
furniture  in  the  state  rooms,  saloons 
and  kitchen 9,000 


Total |30,000 


WESTERN    PtIVERS.  231 

"This  boat  is,  as  observed,  one  of  the  most  solid  and  ele- 
gant: other  steamboats  of  the  same  dimensions  have  cost 
9 5,000  to  |6,000  less. 

^Among  the  steamboats  olJiieJaiffest  class^  which  run 
only  between  New  Orleans  and  Louisville,  the  "Sultana"  and 
the  "Ambassador;"  are  now  much  favored  by  the  public.  The 
"Ambassador"  has  215  feet  length  of  deck,  and  35  feet  extreme 
breadth;  )ler  tonnage  is  450.  On  the  upper  deck  are  44  state 
rooms,  each  with  two  berths,  but  as  many  beds  may  be  ar- 
ranged upon  the  floor  of  the  saloon.  Of  the  two  steam  engines, 
each  ha 
stroke, 
square 


\  a  horizontal  cylinder  of  25  inches  diameter  and  8  feet 

The  steam  acts  with  a  pressure  of  90  pounds  per 

nch,  and  is  cut  off  at  five-eighths  of  the  stroke.    The 


diameter,  of  the  paddle  wheels  is  22  feet,  and  their  width  12 
feetX  Tne  boat  generally  carries  200  tons  of  goods  up,  and  300 
tons  down  stream,  besides  100  cabin  and  150  deck  passengers^ 
She  draws  light  five  feet,  and  when  loaded  seven  feet  of 
water.  The  hull  of  this  boat  has  cost  $12,000,  the  engines 
$17,000,  the  joiners'  work  and  the  whole  interior  arrangement 
of  this  highly  elegant  structure  amounted  to  $31,000,  making 
the  cost  of  the  whole  boat  $60,000.  It  must,  however,  be  ob- 
served that  great  and  costly  alterations  were  made  during 
the  construction,  so  that  her  cost  would  not  actually  exceed 
$55,000. 

"Well-informed  individuals,  who  are  very  much  interested 
in  the  subject  of  steam  navigation,  estimate  the  average  cost 
of  a  steamboat,  upon  the  western  waters,  after  a  special  cal- 
culation, at  $23,500. 

"The  expenses  incident  to  the  management  of  steamboats 
consist  in  the  salaries  and  wages  of  the  individuals  employed, 
the  cost  of  fuel  (wood),  of  the  victuals  for  the  cabin  passengers 
and  crew,  and  in  the  cost  of  repairs  of  the  boat  and  engines. 

"I  have  already  mentioned  the  extraordinary  rise  in  wages, 
which  took  place  during  the  last  few  years.  The  cause  of 
it  lies  principally  in  the  considerably  increased  number  of 
steamboats,  and  the  want  of  useful  individuals,  as  also  in  the 
universal  rise  of  prices  of  all  articles  in  the  United  States. 
The  payment  to  the  officers  and  crew  of  the  "Franklin"  is 
per  month,  as  follows,  viz. : 


232  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

1  Captain  and  2  Clerks "$200 

2  Pilots  ,...  200 

2  Engineers  and  2  Assistants 250 

2  Mates 80 

1  Carpenter   30 

2  Cooks 80 

I  Steward  and  6  Waiters 140 

1  Chambermaid 20 

10  Fireman 200 

6  Common  Laborers 120 

38  Persons , Total $1,320 

Add  for  785  cords  of  wood,  and  a  few  tons 

of  coal  1,775 

For  provisions  for  62  cabin  passengers  and 
38  men  belonging  to  the  boat,  together 

for  100  persons 1,400 


Total  expenses,  without  repairs. .....  $4,495 

or  nearly  $4,500  per  month.  During  nine  months  in  the  year, 
the  boat  makes  daily  a  trip  of  150  miles,  together,  40,500  miles 
per  year.  During  the  remaining  three  months,  she  is  laid  by 
on  account  of  the  low  stage  of  water  in  the  river.  She  then  is 
newly  caulked,  painted,  and  receives  all  the  necessary  repairs. 
The  latter  amount,  with  a  new  boat  of  this  class,  to  not  more 
than  $3,000  in  the  first  year,  to  which  an  amount  has  to  be 
added  for  general1  depreciation,  which  is  considerable.  The 
timber,  of  which  the  vessels  are  constructed  here,  is  grown 
so  fast  under  a  warm  climate,  that  a  vessel  seldom  lasts  over 
six  or  seven  years;  but  steamboats  of  the  first-class  are  used 
only  four  years,  and  then  sold,  and  the  new  proprietor  con- 
tinues to  employ  the  boat  for  a  few  years  longer,  but  her 
voyages  are  so  uncertain.  25  per  cent,  of  the  original  cost 
must,  therefore,  be  taken  as  the  amount  for  depreciation 
in  the  first  year,  which  makes  $7,500  for  the  steamboat 
"Franklin."  At  the  end  of  the  first  year,  the  value  of  the  boat 
is,  therefore,  only  $22,500.  In  the  second  year,  25  per  cent,  of 
these  $22,500,  or  $5,625  are  taken  for  the  general  deprecia- 
tion. But  the  repairs  in  the  second  year  amount  to  so  much 
more,  that  their  cost,  together  with  the  sum  for  general  de- 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  233 

preciation,  is  again  equal  to  $10,500,  as  in  the  first  year.  The 
same  calculation  is  applicable  for  the  third  and  fourth  year, 
after  which  the  value  of  the  boat  remains  only  $9,492,  for 
which  amount  it  is  then  sold. 

We  have,  therefore,  the  following,  as  the  yearly  expenses 
for  the  steamboat  "Franklin"  :— 

Current  expenses  during  9  months7  run- 
ning time $40,500 

During  the  remaining  three  months,  the 
salary  of  the  captain  and  clerks,  who 
remain  on  the  boat,  while  the  others 
are  dismissed,  amounts  to 1,000 

Repairs  and  general  depreciation 10,500 

Insurance.  7  to  9  per  cent,  on  three- 
fourths  of  the  value,  to  which  steam- 
boats can  only  be  insured 1,350 

Sundry  small  expenses 1,150 

Total  , $54,500 

If  from  this  sum  be  deducted  the  expenses 
for  boarding  the  passengers  and  ser- 
vants, say  about $14.000 


There  remains  as  the  expenses  for  run- 
ning the  boat  alone $40,500 

As  this  steamboat  performs  during  nine  months,  daily,. 
150  miles,  or,  in  the  whole,  40,500  miles,  the  expenses  for  every 
mile  the  boat  travels  amount  to  $1.00. 

On  the  other  side,  the  revenues  of  this  boat  are  at  an  aver- 
age for  each  trip  of  150  miles: 

From  62  Cabin  passengers,  at  $4.00 $248 

63  Deck  "  $1.00 63 

125  passengers,  at  an  average  per 
trip. 

For  25  tons  of  goods,  at  $3.00 75 

"  transportation  of  IT.  S.  Mail 4 


Total $390 


234  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

"The  amount  of  $4.00,  received  for  transporting  the  mail 
150  miles,  is  here  very  small.  The  reason  is  that  the  public 
prefer  the  mail  boats  to  all  others,  on  account  of  their  safety 
and  punctuality,  in  consequence  of  which  steamboat  proprie- 
tors contract  for  the  carrying  of  the  mail,  even  at  the  very 
lowest  prices.  The  income  of  f 390  per  day  gives,  for  the  nine 
months,  f  105,300,  which,  compared  with  the  expense  of  f  54,500, 
shows  an  annual  profit  of  |50,800.  As  the  "Franklin"  has 
only  cost  f  30,000,  we  see  what  an  enormous  profit  those  steam- 
boats yield  in  America,  wrhich  are  frequented  by  a  sufficient 
number  of  passengers. 

"The  steamboat  "Ambassador,'7  the  tonnage  of  which  is 
twice  as  great  as  that  of  the  "Franklin,"  commenced  her  trips 
late  in  the  fall  of  1837,  and  made  in  that  year  four  voyages  from 
Louisville  to  New  Orleans, each  of  1,450  miles,  and  four  voyages 
back,  together,  therefore,  running  a  distance  of  11,600  miles. 
The  monthly  expenses  were  $8,500,  which  gives  for  three 
months  $25,500,  or  per  mile  of  travel,  $2.20.  In  the  year  1838, 
the  "Ambassador"  made  ten  trips  from  Louisville  to  New 
Orleans,  and  back,  and  performed,  therefore,  29,200  miles 
within  the  period  of  eight  months,  the  trips  having  been  dis- 
continued during  four  summer  months,  on  account  of  low 
water.  The  total  expenses  for  the  whole  year  amounted  to 
something  over  $58,000,  which  gives  $2.00  as  the  expense  for 
running  one  mile.  The  salaries  upon  this  boat  amount,  in  con- 
sequence of  her  large  size,  and  the  long  trips,  to  much  more 
than  upon  the  "Franklin,"  and  are  as  follows,  viz. : 

1  Captain  receives  per  year $2,000 

1  First  Clerk 1,200 

1  Second  Clerk,  $50  per  month,  therefore,  in  8  months  400 

1  Barkeeper,  $45  per  month,  therefore,  in  8  months . .  360 

2  Pilots,  each  $300  per  month,  therefore,  in  8  months  4,800 
2  Engineers,  each  $150  per  month,  out  of  which  he 

has  to  pay  his  Assistant,  both  in  8  months 2,400 

2  Mates,  one  $75  and  one  $50  per  month,  therefore, 

both  in  8  months 1,000 

1  Ship  Carpenter,  $60  per  month,  therefore,  in  8 

months   .  480 


Carried  forward $12,640 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  235 

Brought  forward f  12,640 

2  Cooks,  one  f 50,  the  other  |30  per  month,  therefore 

in  8  months 640 

1  Steward,  $85,  and  6  Waiters,  each  $25  per  month, 

therefore  in  8  months 1,880 

1  Chambermaid,  $25,  and  1  Washwoman,  $20  per 

month,  both  in  8  mouths 360 

16  Firemen,  each  $35,  all  in  8  months 4,480 

8  Common  Laborers,  each  $25,  all  in  8  months 1,600 


48  individuals  receive  in  total $21,600 

"As  they  have,  at  the  same  time,  free  board  on  the  steam- 
boat, it  is  evident  that  the  expenses  for  the  persons  employed 
on  the  boats  are  much  larger  here,  than  in  any  part  of  Europe. 
The  expense  of  $2.00  per  mile  of  travel  includes  the  cost  for 
board  of  the  passengers,  but,  at  the  same  time,  no  sum  for  gen- 
eral depreciation  has  been  taken  into  account.  These  amounts 
will  very  nearly  counterbalance  each  other,  and,  therefore,  we 
may  on  this  boat,  as  well  as  on  other  first-class  steamers  of 
400  to  500  tons  burden,  take  the  expense  for  every  mile  of 
travel  at  $2.00. 

"The  "Ambassador"  carried  in  1838,  at  an  average,  100 
cabin  passengers,  each  of  whom  paid  $50.00  per  passage  up,  and 
$40.00  per  passage  down  the  river,  and  100  to  150  deck  passen- 
gers, who  paid  in  part  $5.00,  and  in  part  $8.00  each.  Finally, 
she  carried  generally  200  tons  of  goods  up,  and  300  tons 
down.  The  receipts  per  trip  of  1,450  miles  were  frequently 
$7,500,  while  the  expenses  did  not  amount  to  more  than 
$2,000,  leaving,  therefore,  a  very  considerable  net  profit.  On 
her  trips,  in  1830,  the  "Ambassador"  averaged  only  up  to  the 
month  of  June  65  cabin  passengers  per  trip,  but,  nevertheless, 
the  boat  will  again  give  a  handsome  profit. 

"The  steamboats  "Franklin"  and  "Ambassador"  belong, 
as  I  observed,  to  the  most  elegant,  and  charge,  ^ therefore, 
the  highest  rates.  Boats  of  a  cheaper  construction,  and  less 
elegant,  with  their  crew  not  so  well  paid,  incur  much  less  ex- 
penses :  and  we  find  boats  of  200  or  more  tons,  on  which  the  ex- 
penses per  mile  of  travel  are  only  fifty  cents.  If,  therefore, 
these  boats  only  carry  34  passengers  at  an  average,  each  pay- 
ing one  and  one-half  cents  per  mile,  the  expenses  are  already 


236  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

covered.  Should  the  number  of  passengers  be  less,  or  the  ex- 
pense of  running  greater,  the  charges  for  transportation  must 
be  increased. 

"The  greatest  number  of  accidents  happen  upon  the 
Mississippi  and  Ohio  Rivers,  where  the  steamboats  continue 
their  passage  day  and  night,  from  New  Orleans  to  Pittsburg. 
The  length  of  this  voyage  is  2,000  miles,  and,  including  the 
stoppages  necessary  for  taking  in  wood  and  for  landing  and 
taking  passengers  on  board,  the  trip  is  made  in  ten  days  up, 
and  six  or  seven  days  down  the  river.  In  the  first  case,  the 
engines  are  through  240  hours  constantly  at  work,  during 
which  time  the  boilers  are  incessantly  heated,  though  the  same- 
is  still  more  the  case  with  the  engines  in  manufactories,  and 
in  the  Atlantic  steamships.  It  must  be  considered  here  that 
Pittsburg  lies  ten  and  one-half  degrees  further  to  the  North 
than  New  Orleans,  and  it  requires  a  good  health  to  support  the 
enormous  difference  in  the  temperature  of  the  two  cities.  It 
becomes  evident  that  the  engineers  superintending  the  engines 
cannot  afford  to  give  the  same  the  required  attention,  and  ex- 
plosions must  consequently  become  more  numerous. 

"Many  accidents  happen  by  "snags"  and  "sawyers,"  so 
called.  They  are  trees  torn  away  from  the  banks  of  the  river, 
which  get  fast  with  their  roots  at  some  point,  and  remain  in 
positions  most  dangerous  to  the  steamboats.  Whole  islands 
are  sometimes  formed  by  such  floating  trees.  For  removing 
these  obstructions,  particular  machines  have  been  invented, 
and  are  constantly  employed  upon  these  rivers. 

"The  Americans  are,  as  is  known,  the  most  enterprising 
people  in  the  world,  who  justly  say  of  themselves,  "We  go 
always  ahead."  The  Democrats  here  never  like  to  remain  be- 
hind one  another:  on  the  contrary,  each  wants  to  get  ahead 
of  the  rest.  When  two  steamboats  happen  to  get  alongside  of 
each  other,  the  passengers  will  encourage  the  captains  to  run 
a  race,  which  the  latter  agree  to.  The  boilers  intended  for  a 
pressure  of  only  100  pounds  per  square  inch,  are  by  the  ac- 
celerated generation  of  steam,  exposed  to  a  pressure  of  150, 
and  even  200  pounds,  and  this  goes  sometimes  so  far,  that  the 
trials  end  with  an  explosion.  Seldom  they  have  here,  as  they 
do  in  Europe,  fixed  in  the  boiler  a  plate  of  a  composition  which 
melts  at  a  -certain  degree  of  heat,  and  the  fire  becomes  extiu- 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  237 

guished  by  the  water.  The  races  are  the  causes  of  most  of  the 
explosions,  and  yet  they  are  still  constantly  taking  place.  The 
life  of  an  American  is,  indeed,  only  a  constant  racing,  and  why 
should  he  fear  it  so  much  on  board  the  steamboats? 

"In  order  not  to  lose  too  much  time,  wood  is  taken  in  only 
every  twelve  hours.  The  quantity  they  take  is,  for  large  boats, 
30  cords,  or  3,840  cubic  feet.  As  generally  hard  wood  is  used, 
the  additional  load  which  the  boat  receives  at  once,  and  on 
its  fore  end  amounts  to  about  1,800  cwts.,  and,  in  conse- 
quence thereof,  the  boat  touches  the  bottom  sometimes  on 
the  flat  banks.  The  taking  in  of  wood  lasts  one  hour,  during 
which  the  fire  is  constantly  kept  up  and  the  steam  attains  a 
very  high  pressure,  necessary  sometimes  to  bring  the  boat 
afloat.  At  the  same  time,  they  often  neglect  to  pump  the 
necessary  supply  of  water  for  the  boilers,  the  iron  in  the  flues 
becomes  bare  and  red  hot  by  the  action  of  the  flame,  and  when, 
at  the  starting,  the  water  again  fills  the  boiler,  the  steam  is  so 
suddenly  generated  that  an  explosion  is  the  consequence.  Al- 
though it  is  generally  known  that  most  explosions  occur  when 
the  boat  starts,  after  having  got  their  supply  of  wood,  the 
thoughtless  travelers  remain,  notwithstanding,  on  the  fore  part 
of  the  boat,  where  they  are  most  exposed. 

"During  the  nights  it  sometimes  happens  that  in  the 
windings  of  the  river  two  boats,  going  at  a  great  speed,  meet 
each  other,  and,  by  the  concussion,  the  weaker  boat  instantly 
sinks. 

"I  have  observed  already  that  there  are  only  two  pilots 
upon  each  steamboat,  who  perform  their  service  alternately 
every  four  hours,  but  remain  on  board  for  the  whole  voyage 
from  New  Orleans  to  Pittsburg,  of  2,000  miles.  It  has  never 
been  the  practice  here  to  take  new  pilots  from  station  to  sta- 
tion, and  the  consequence  is,  that  the  pilots,  not  acquainted 
with  such  an  extent  of  river,  which  at  the  same  time  is  subject 
to  so  frequent  changes,  the  vessels  often  run  aground,  and  that 
then  the  engineer  by  using  steam  of  too  high  a  pressure  ex- 
poses the  boat  to  explosions. 

"It  is  to  be  regretted  that  steam  navigation  was  carried 
on  in  America  five  years  before  it  was  successfully  tried  in 
Europe.  It  would  be  still  more  to  be  regretted,  if,  at  present, 
when  in  20  years,  with  an  expenditure  of  $45,000,000,  the 


238  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

Americans  have  acquired  such  a  mass  of  experience,  and 
brought  steam  navigation  to  such  a  high  degree  of  perfection, 
we  were  still  to  hesitate  in  Europe  to  adopt  the  American 
plan  of  construction.  The  steam  navigation  companies  in 
Europe  ought  to  compare  the  data  given  in  this  letter,  with 
the  rate  of  wages  and  other  prices  in  Europe,  calculate  the 
prices  of  transportation  of  passengers  and  goods,  compare  the 
same  with  their  actual  prices,  and  they  will  see  the  advantage 
which  would  result  to  them  by  the  adoption  of  the  American 
system." 

The  use  of  the  steam  whistle,  for  the  purpose  of  a  signal  on 
the  steamboats  of  the  western  rivers,  does  not  appear  to  have 
been  prior  to  1843,  or  1844,  and  then  on  a  few  boats  by  the  way 
of  experiment,  but  it  was  not  made  compulsory  by  law  until 
1855.  The  previous  practice  for  signalling  was  by  the  use  of 
bells.  The  system  here  adopted  was  for  the  down-stream  ves- 
sel, being  generally  loaded  and  the  more  unmanageable  of  the 
two,  should  have  the  right  of  way,  or  giving  the  first  signal, 
which  was  one  tap  of  the  bell,  if  wishing  to  go  to  the  right,  or 
two  taps  if  desiring  to  go  to  the  left,  and  should  continue  tap- 
ping, at  short  intervals,  until  the  up-stream  boat  answered  it 
and  steered  as  indicated  by  the  signals.  In  1850,  Davis  Embree, 
of  the  "Western  Boatman,"  published  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  be- 
gan an  agitation  for  a  change  in  this  S3rstem,  but  he  was  met 
with  a  united  and  bitter  opposition  to  any  change  from  the 
western  river  steamboat  owners.  In  1852,  Congress  passed  the 
Steamboat  law,  and  Mr.  Embree  was  appointed  supervising  in- 
spector of  the  St.  Louis  district,  and,  while  a  member  of  the 
Board,  was  instrumental  in  having  some  changes  made  in  the 
law.  In  the  meantime  the  steam  whistle  had  been  applied 
very  generally,  and  in  1854,  the  Board  passed  a  rule  that  the 
steam  whistle  should  be  used  in  place  of  the  bell  for  signalling 
purposes,  although  some  thought  at  the  time  it  was  not  re- 
liable for  the  purpose.  It  met  the  opposition  of  the  owners 
for  some  time.  The  rule  made  by  the  Board,  in  October,  1857, 
required  for  the  "rivers  flowing  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  etc., 
that  the  pilot  of  the  ascending  boat  to  sound  his  steam  whistle 
once,  if  he  shall  wish  to  keep  his  boat  to  the  right,  and  it  shall 
be  the  duty  of  the  pilot  of  the  descending  boat  to  answer  the 
same  promptly  by  one  sound  of  his  steam  whistle,  and  both 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  239 

boats  shall  be  steered  according  to  such  signal.  Or,  if  pilot 
of  ascending  boat  wished  to  keep  his  boat  to  the  left,  he  shall 
sound  his  steam  whistle  twice,  etc."  This  rule  remained  in 
force  until  1872,  when  it  was  amended,  giving  the  descending 
boat  the  right  to  alter  the  first  signal  if  from  darkness  of 
night,  narrowness  of  the  channel,  or  any  cause  that  rendered 
it  necessary  for  the  descending  boat  to  take  the  other  side. 
This  change  at  first  was  the  cause  of  many  collisions,  but  it 
was  continued  in  force  until  February,  1880,  when  the  rule  was 
again  amended,  providing  that  the  descending  boat  should 
have  the  making  of  the  first  signal.  In  1883  the  law  was 
again  changed,  so  that  it  was  as  in  1872. 

A  western  river  pilot,  of  long  service,  thus  gives  his  ex- 
perience with  tornadoes,  and  the  dangers  attending  river  navi- 
gation during  sudden  storms  on  the  western  rivers: 

"On  the  southwestern  rivers,  the  months  of  March  and 
April  are  considered  the  most  windy,  and  in  these  months  the 
most  notorious  tornadoes,  or  hurricanes  have  occurred.  These 
tornadoes,  as  we  call  them,  seem  to  run  in  veins,  as  they  open 
an  avenue  in  a  forest  for  miles  in  length,  and  not  over  a  mile 
in  width.  Pilots  are  generally  good  judges  of  weather,  and 
they  are  constantly  on  the  lookout  for  squalls.  The  tornado 
will  give  him  short  notice  where  it  is,  by  a  slight  breath  of 
air,  quick  lightning  and  distant  thunder.  If  in  the  night  time, 
he  will  make  for  some  soft  place  to  lay  his  boat  until  the  storm 
passes.  The  hard  knocks  the  pilots  get  from  these  squalls  very 
seldom  last  over  ten  minutes.  The  wind  may  continue  to  blow 
hard  for  hours,  but  the  worst  is  generally  over  at  the  com- 
mencement, and  the  detention  of  the  vessel  at  the  shore  is  not 
necessarily  long. 

"In  a  practical  experience  of  nearly  50  years,  I  have  only 
fought  these  violent  hurricanes  four  times,  and  in  these  bat- 
tles I  was  not  in  the  centre,  but  on  the  edge,  having  a  chance 
to  dodge  the  enemy. 

"My  first  engagement  occurred  in  March,  1830,  coming  up 
with  the  steamer  "Patriot,"  a  first-class  boat.  Behind  the  bar, 
opposite  Brewinsburgh,  daylight  coming  in  sight  and  a  squall 
coming  on  our  starboard  quarter,  I  put  the  helm  aport  to  get 
away  from  the  shore.  The  storm  struck  and  in  an  instant  all 
was  dark.  The  boat  careened  to  starboard,  and  my  sliding 


240  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

pilothouse  'kited'  off  with  the  wind.  This  brush — the  worst 
of  it — lasted  about  five  minutes.  As  it  cleared  away,  I  found 
the  "Patriot'7  head  on  to  the  soft  bank  (that  I  had  put  the  helm 
down  to  wear  away  from),  careened  down,  her  starboard  guard 
well  under  water.  I  soon  backed  out  from  the  mud  bank  on  an 
even  keel,  head  up  the  river,  with  the  loss  of  only  my  pilot- 
house top,  and  a  detention  of  about  twenty  minutes. 

"In  the  same  month  and  on  the  same  boat,  bound  down,  at 
3  o'clock  a.  m.,  at  the  foot  of  Wolf  Island,  a  storm  was  in 
sight  coming  from  the  eastern  shore.  I  had  just  time  to 
round  to  and  land  on  the  foot  of  the  island,  Missouri  side, 
safe  as  kittens',  whilst  trees  were  falling  by  hundreds  within 
two  hundred  yards  north  of  us.  I  think  this  storm  was  the 
most  severe  I  ever  experienced. 

"The  next  storm  was  in  March,  1832,  going  down  the  river 
on  the  staunch  and  fine  steamer  "Splendid,"  Capt.  J.  J.  James, 
with  the  hull  of  the  old  "Bed  Rover"  hitched  alongside,  both 
boats  drawing  nine  feet.  As  the  sun  was  going  down,  we  were 
at  the  head  of  the  Grand  Chain,  and  it  was  four  miles  to  a 
good  landing  at  the  foot  of  the  rocks :  hence  there  was  no  alter- 
native but  to  fight  the  storm  and  rocks.  The  storm  was  fast 
coming  toward  us  from  the  Illinois  shore — we  could  hear  it 
plainly.  From  where  the  wreck  of  the  "Richmond"  lay,  I  could 
see  the  Kentucky  shore  down  to  near  the  tall  cottonwood  tree — 
the  old  landmark — but  before  I  got  opposite  to  it,  darkness, 
the  storm,  and  rain  closed  in,  and  I  had  to  guess  all  the  rest. 
Capt.  Shrieve  had  taken  out  most  of  the  centre  rock  in  this 
crossing,  and  part  of  the  high  left-hand  rock,  but  all  the  rocks 
on  the  right  were  yet  there.  Guessing  at  it,  keeping  the  wind 
on  my  starboard  shoulder  as  long  as  I  dared  on  ^account  of  the 
bar  below,  I  quartered  her  to  the  wind  and  let  her  take  her 
chances  among  the  rocks.  Our  good  engine  beat  ahead,  appar- 
ently a  long  time.  I  could  see  nothing,  nor  feel  any  bumps 
from  the  bottom.  It  ceased  blowing  a  little,  and  a  voice  sang 
out  to  me: 

"'Shall  I  make  fast?' 

"Where?' I  asked. 

"  We  are  ashore,  or  the  Red  Rover  is,'  said  the  mate. 

"The  wind  was  so  severe  against  us  that  we  came  into  tlie 
bank  under  a  full  head  of  steam,  without  feeling  it.  Neither 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  241 

officers  nor  men  could  stand  on  nor  about  the  decks,  without' 
something  strong  to  hold  to.  Capt.  James  and  James  Gorman 
laid  flat  on  their  bellies,  holding  on  to  the  chimney-guy  timber- 
heads,  wet  as  drowned  rats,  until  we  were  landed.  At  day- 
light next  morning  we  found  our  landing  was  made  immediate- 
ly under  the  hanging  cedar  tree  in  the  bluff.  This  was  evi- 
dence that  I  did  not  miss  the  channel  much. 

"The  last  tornado  that  I  encountered  was  in  March,  1849. 
In  charge  of  the  fast  steamer  "Independence,"  and  coming  up 
the  Mississippi,  when  about  six  miles  above  Bayou  Sara,  and 
as  day  was  breaking,  the  pilot  on  watch,  Isaac  Smith,  sent 
me  word  a  storm  was  coming,  I  hastened  to  the  hurricane 
deck,  half  clad,  and  saw  it  coming,  quartering  down  from  the 
east  shore — the  shore  we  were  running  near — but  the  over- 
hanging trees  prevented  a  good  landing.  It  was  getting  light 
that  we  could  see  about  us,  and  I  judged  that  we  could  weather 
it  under  way.  It  soon  hit  us.  My  station  was  at  the  starboard 
forward  chimney  guy.  The  first  puff  broke  the  pilot  house  loose 
from  its  fastening,  carrying  it  back  about  three  feet,  where 
the  tiller  ropes  brought  it  up.  The  moving  of  the  pilot  house 
rang  the  engine  bell,  and  the  engine  stopped,  the  boat  sheer- 
ing out  in  the  river.  Limbs  were  breaking  from  the  trees,  and 
one  limb  of  good  size  struck  the  chimney  guy  I  was  holding  to, 
slid  down  and  struck  me  on  the  shoulder,  breaking  my  hold 
from  the  guy,  and  tumbling  me  off  the  hurricane  deck  down 
forward.  The  back  of  my  head  and  shoulder  struck  the  for- 
ward boiler-deck  railing,  checking  the  fall  a  little,  and  I  landed 
on  the  forecastle  right  side  up.  By  this  time  the  worst  of  the 
"storm  had  passed,  and  by  handling  the  coupling  blocks  and  one 
water  wheel  at  a  time,  the  engineer  soon  had  the  vessel  safely 
landed.  I  had  remained  with  the  engineer,  helping,  but,  when 
landed,  I  felt  faint,  grew  dizzy  and  dropped  to  the  deck.  The 
engineer,  John  Smart,  one  of  the  best  men  that  ever  turned  a 
throttle  valve,  picked  me  up  and  carried  me  to  my  room.  He 
was  our  boat  doctor,  as  well  as  engineer.  In  my  case  his  remedy 
was  brandy,  camphor  and  bleeding.  We  were  not  detained 
here  over  two  hours,  and  I  was  out  at  getting  under  way,  and 
passing  jokes  with  the  rest,  though  I  had  quite  a  bump  swelled 
on  the  back  of  my  head  by  colliding  on  the  down  trip  with  the 
boiler-deck  rail." 


24:2  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

An  engineer  on  the  western  rivers,  in  giving  a  few  facts 
on  inland  navigation  in  these  days,  says:  "There  is  no  social 
distinction  on  board  a  Mississippi  steamboat.  The  officers, 
from  the  captain  down  to  the  strikers,  who  are  the  engineer  ap- 
prentices, eat  at  the  same  table  and  enjoy  the  same  attention, 
there  being  no  distinction  made  in  any  form.  If  the  engineer's 
apprentice  be  a  gentleman,  and  so  desires,  he  can  dress  as  well, 
and  receive  the  same  courtesy  as  either  commander,  clerk,  pilot, 
mate,  engineer  or  any  one  else.  While  it  is  true  there  are 
men  as  chief  engineers,  who  are  known  as  pretty  'hard  to  run 
with,'  the  majority  are  not  so.  The  reason  seems  obvious.  If 
you  ship  on  one  of  our  boats,  it  is  for  no  definite  time;  if  you 
do  not  suit  they  can,  and  doubtless  will,  put  you  off  at  the  first 
landing,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  if  you  do  not  like  the  boat  and 
its  management,  you  can  get  off  wherever  you  choose. 

"Our  steamboats  are  of  two  kinds,  side  wheel  and  stern 
wheel ;  but  as  the  side-wheel  boat  is  the  proper  and  legitimate 
school  for  the  engineer,  I  will  give  it  and  its  machinery  the 
most  minute  description. 

"Our  boats  are  made  to  navigate  shallow  wrater,  hence  are 
all  flat  bottomed,  being  made  more  for  lightness  of  draught 
than  speed.  Our  engines  are  all  poppet  valve,  worked  by 
levers,  hence  the  name  'lever  engine.'  The  valves  are  of  three 
kinds — single,  relief,  and  balance. 

"The  single  valve  is,  as  its  name  implies,  a  single  valve, 
which,  receiving  the  full  pressure  of  the  steam,  makes  them 
hard  to  raise.  The  relief  valve  is  a  single  valve  with  a  small 
valve  in  the  centre,  there  being  sufficient  play  to  enable  the 
small  valve  to  raise  first,  relieving  the  larger  valve.  The  bal- 
ance valve  is  two  valves,  one  above  the  other,  only  in  one  case ; 
in  all  the  later  make  of  valves,  the  smaller  valve  is  on  the  bot- 
tom. The  valve  motion  is  operated  by  four  levers,  placed  on 
the  side  pipes,  parallel  with  the  cylinder.  These  levers  set  end 
to  end,  two  of  them  working  the  receiving  and  two  the  exhaust 
valves;  the  extreme  outer  ends  of  the  levers  resting  on  four 
columns  at  the  two  extremes  of  the  side  pipes.  The  rests  upon 
which  the  columns  are  placed  are  known  by  engineers  as  the 
'horns.'  Our  engines  are  horizontally  set  on  wooden  timbers, 
(by  way  of  experiment  a  few  boats  have  replaced  the  wooden 
cylinder  timbers  by  boiler-iron  ones),  each  wheel  being 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  243 

worked  independently  of  the  other.  The  engines  set  one  on 
each  side  forward  of  the  wheel.  The  valve  motion  is  operated 
by  two  cams,  a  full  stroke  and  a  cut-off.  The  full  stroke  works 
on  the  rock-shaft  arm,  working  the  exhaust  levers,  the  levers 
being  raised  by  lifters.  The  receiving  levers  are  worked  by  a 
short  cam-rod,  connected  with,  though  separate  from  the  rock- 
shaft  arm.  There  are  two  rock  shafts.  Thus,  the  lifter  under 
the  exhaust  levers  is  a  sleeve  through  which  the  rock  shaft 
that  operates  the  receiving  levers  is  worked.  The  rock  shaft, 
npon  which  the  arm  is  attached,  is  separate  from  the  other, 
being  connected  by  a  link  to  the  loose  sleeve:  thus,  when  the 
full  stroke  (which  works  the  exhaust  at  all  times)  is  on,  the 
lifter  of  the  receiving  side  can  be  moved  by  hand,  by  simply 
raising  the  'short  hook'  or  cam-rod.  When  the  engineer  has 
his  engine  in  motion,  and  is  desirous  of  throwing  on  the  cut-off, 
he  raises  the  short  hook,  and  places  the  cut-off  on  in  its  place, 
the  cut-off  rod  swinging  idly  when  not  shipped  up.  Our  en- 
gines cut  off  only  when  going  ahead.  To  back,  the  cut-off  is 
taken  off,  short  hook  dropped  in  its  place,  and  the  engine  is 
ready  to  reverse.  Most  cut-off  cams  are  of  the  folding  pattern, 
and  can  be  adjusted  in  a  few  moments  to  cut  off  at  any  desired 
length.  The  boilers  on  the  western  rivers  are  flue  boilers, 
placed  horizontally,  side  by  side,  a  little  forward  of  the  en- 
gines. They  are  also  placed  equi-distant  from  the  keelsons. 
They  are  fed  with  water  from  an  independent  pump,  knowrn 
as  the  'Doctor,'  The  'Doctors'  are  all  beam  engines,  with 
four  pumps,  two  cold  and  two  hot  water.  Over  and  resting 
upon  the  columns  of  the  'Doctor,'  are  two  heaters,  in  which 
the  wTater  is  heated  by  the  exhaust  from  the  engines  before  it 
is  forced  into  the  boilers.  As  the  cold-water  pumps  are  made 
larger  than  the  hot,  there  is  always  a  surplus  of  hot  water, 
which  is  wasted  into  the  'shoe,'  thereby  partially  heating  the 
cold  water  before  it  is  introduced  into  the  heaters.  The  ex- 
haust steam,  after  it  leaves  the  heaters,  can  be  carried  through 
the  chimneys,  or  through  the  pipes  on  the  roof  at  the  will  of 
the  engineer.  When  carried  through  the  chimneys  it  aids  the 
draught.  The  boilers  of  a  river  steamer  are  connected  one  with 
the  other  in  three  different  places,  i.  e.,  the  steam  drums,  that 
run  across  the  top  of  them;  the  mud  drums,  that  hold  a  like 
position  across  the  bottom,  and,  lastly,  the  connecting  (or 


244  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

check)  joints  that  connect  them  under  the  tile.  The  latter  con- 
nection is  not  universal,  though  very  nearly  so.  There  is  no 
general  rule  for  the  steam  drums,  some  boats  having  only  one, 
while  others  have  two.  On  a  side- wheel  boat,  there  are  two 
steam  pipes  leading  direct  from  the  steam  drum,  one  to  each 
engine.  The  common  mode  of  introducing  water  to  the  boilers 
is  through  the  after-drum,  which  is  attached  directly  under 
and  to  the  after  end  of  the  boilers,  the  forward  drum  being 
directly  aft  of  the  furnace.  The  'Snowden'  heater  is  used  to 
quite  an  extent,  which  consists  of  a  check  valve  on  the  top  of 
one  of  the  boilers,  and  a  pipe  leading  into  the  boiler  to  a  point 
near  the  forward  end,  then  returning  aft  and  discharging  the 
water  into  the  after-drum.  The  water,  when  thus  subjected 
to  the  effect  of  the  steam,  becomes  very  hot  before  it  is  intro- 
duced to  the  drum.  From  190  to  210  degrees  of  heat  is  a  pretty 
accurate  average  for  the  heating  of  the  water,  upon  which 
steam  boilers  are  fed.  There  is  no  definite  rule  for  the  use 
of  the  blow-off  valve  given,  as  every  tributary  of  the  Mississippi 
has  water  of  somewhat  different  chemical  composition,  and  the 
use  of  the  blow-off  is  differently  regulated.  The  Missouri  and 
lower  Mississippi  rivers  are,  of  all  the  rivers,  the  worst  for 
mud,  and,  of  course,  the  boilers  are  blown  out  often,  some  five 
or  six,  or  even  more  times  a  day.  In  the  upper  Mississippi  the 
water  is  clear,  and  I  have  run  five  days  without  raising  the 
mud  valve  once.  We  blow  our  boilers  out  from  both  mud 
drums,  and  on  most  boats,  with  more  than  two  boilers,  there 
are  four  mud  valves,  one  on  each  end  of  the  two  drums.  The 
same  rule  holds  good  in  cleaning  out  boilers.  On  the  lower 
Mississippi  and  Missouri  Kivers  they  clean  out  often,  say  every 
eight  or  ten  days,  while  on  the  upper  Mississippi  they  are  not 
so  careful.  I  have  run  about  38  days  on  the  upper  Mississippi 
without  cleaning,  and  that,  too,  without  any  serious  results. 
In  fact,  I  am  led  to  think  it  by  far  safer  to  run  without  clean- 
ing than  to  clean  out  hurriedly  while  your  boilers  are  yet  hot. 
"As  the  side-wheel  boat  is  the  only  proper  school  for  the 
river  engineer,  I  have  given  a  more  perfect  picture  of  her  work- 
ing than  will  be  necessary  for  a  stern- wheel  boat.  The  engines 
for  a  stern-wheel  boat  are  of  the  same  form  as  for  a  side- 
wheeler,  only  both  engines  are  attached  to  the  one  shaft,  with 
cranks  at  right  angles,  and,  when  placed  in  the  boat,  are  just 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  245 

the  opposite  to  what  they  would  be  on  a  side-wheeler,  as  the 
working  platforms  of  a  side- wheeler  are  on  the  outboard  side- 
of  the  engines,  while  on  the  stern- wheel  boat,  they  are  inboard, 
or  between  the  two  engines. 

"There  is  no  difference  in  boilers  on  the  two  classes  of 
boats.  The  distance  from  engines  to  boilers  is  greatly  in- 
creased on  the  stern- wheeler.  A  stern-wheeler  draws  her 
steam  through  a  main  pipe  to  the  throttle  valve,  which  sets  in 
the  centre  between  the  engines,  and  from  there  is  conveyed  to 
the  cylinders  through  two  branch  pipes. 

"There  are  phrases  found  in  the  nomenclature  of  mechani- 
cal science  that  are  obsolete  in  river  engineering;  that  is,  no 
river  engineer  ever  approximates  steamboat  power  by  the  term 
"horse  power";  nor  does  he  inform  you  of  the  working  capacity 
of  an  engine  by  giving  you  the  number  of  revolutions  she 
makes  a  minute.  The  former  is  not  used,  because  it  would  be 
next  to  impossible  to  average  the  revolutions  of  a  boat.  Par- 
ticularly is  this  the  case  on  all  our  western  and  southern  rivers, 
except  the  lower  part  of  the  lower  Mississippi.  A  side- wheel 
boat  will  increase  her  revolutions  on  extreme  shallow  water, 
so  greatly  sometimes  that  the  engineer  is  compelled  to  shut 
them  down.  When  an  engine  is  guilty  of  this  freak,  it  is 
termed  "running  off."  A  stern-wheel  boat  takes  an  opposite 
turn.  I  have  left  St.  Louis  on  a  stern-wheel  towboat,  flying 
light,  drawing  40  inches  of  water,  carrying  150  pounds  of 
steam,  and,  in  the  deep  water,  to  the  mouth  of  the  Ked  River, 
the  engines  turned  24  times  a  minute.  With  the  game  steam 
on  in  shallow  water  (there  was  six  feet  in  the  channel),  the 
speed  wras  reduced  to  14  revolutions,  and  run  for  miles  in  that 
way.  Striking  a  deep  bend,  her  speed  would  run  up,  slowing 
down,  however,  the  instant  she  struck  a  shoal  place. 

"Ask  a  river  engineer  regarding  a  boat's  power,  and  he 
will  tell  you  the  size  of  her  engines  and  the  number  of  her 
boilers,  and  the  number  of  flues  in  each  boiler.  The  first  boat 
I  was  ever  on  had  three  boilers  and  20-inch  cylinders.  Did  I 
wish  to  tell  a  river  man  about  her,  and  wished  to  give  him  an 
idea  of  her  size,  I  could  do  it  no  better  than  by  saying,  that 
'she  was  a  three-boiler  boat/  and  he  would  at  once  conclude 
the  size  of  the  boat,  and  really  would  n6t:'lmss  it  far.  Our 
boats  are  mostly  owned  by  companies,  yelV'^s'la/ rule,  the  cap- 


246  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

tain  hires  his  own  engineer.  To  have  a  chief  engineer  for  a  line 
is  not  common;  in  fact,  I  know  of  but  one  line  of  boats  that 
support  such  a  dignitary.  When  a  boat  starts  out,  one  striker  is 
put  on  watch  with  the  'boss/  and  one  with  the  second.  A 
striker  carries  the  water  and  does  all  the  oiling,  and  helps  to 
keep  the  machinery  clean.  In  port  they  take  hold,  if  they  know 
how,  and  do  what  there  is  to  be  done  the  same  as  the  engineer. 
Boiler  cleaners  are  employed  to  clean  the  boilers  when  in  port, 
and  are  generally  under  the  control  of  the  second  engineer, 
though  not  always.  All  repairs  are  ordered  by  the  first  engi- 
neer. 

"Stern-wheel  boats  carry  only  two  engineers,  there  being 
no  striker,  the  two  engines  being  handled  from  the  centre.  In 
many  cases  both  engines  can  be  reversed  at  one  time  by  the 
lever.  If  this  is  not  the  case,  the  engineer  runs  across  the  deck 
and  changes  the  rods,  having  a  fireman  to  assist  him  in  a  close 
place.  Once  in  a  while  you  will  find  an  engineer  that  never 
run  as  a  striker,  but  rose  from  some  other  way,  but  the  'boys' 
rather  look  upon  him  as  an  usurper,  and  only  a  'stern-wheel 
engineer,'  in  no  way  'a  thoroughbred.'  All  steamboats  have 
blacksmith  shops,  and  the  boys  pride  themselves  on  their  abil- 
ity to  'pound  iron.'  When  it  comes  time  for  a  boat  to  go  out, 
the  captain  rings  the  bell,  and  when  the  engineer  is  ready  he 
sounds  the  alarm  whistle.  Should  the  boat  desire  to  land,  the 
engineer  is  at  once  notified.  As  soon  as  the  boat  is  landed,  and 
there  is  no  further  use  for  the  engineer,  he  is  again  notified 
by  a  sound  of  the  alarm  whistle.  From  then  until  the  engineer 
sounds  the  ready  whistle,  he  has  the  engines  absolutely  under 
his  control,  and  no  captain  would  think  of  cutting  the  boat 
loose,  or  ordering  the  wheel  turned,  without  the  engineer  sanc- 
tioned it.  Should  a  boat  run  into  the  bank  and  not  sound  her 
whistle  'done  with  the  engines,'  the  engineer  would  always 
hold  himself  ready,  unless  he  desired  the  engines  to  do  some 
work,  for  then  he,  in  turn,  informs  the  pilot. 

"On  many  towboats,  where  the  engineers  work  steam  slow, 
and  they  are  carrying  her  'hot,'  if  the  pilot  sees  a  place  ahead 
where  he  wishes  to  work  slow,  he  will  inform  the  engineer  in 
trine  to  regulate  his  fires,  also  informing  him  when  the  bad 
place  is  over.  And  thus  the  whole  system  works  in  harmony." 

Before  railroads  parallel  with  rivers  were  constructed, 


WESTERN"    RIVERS.  247 

there  was  more  disposition  to  improve  the  speed  of  boats  pro- 
pelled by  steam,  because  speed  was  an  object  to  be  obtained; 
but  owners,  since  then,  build  vessels  more  with  a  view  to 
business  capacity  than  speed. 

"Back  in  the  thirties"  is  often  referred  to  by  old  boatmen 
as  the  period  when  steamboat  races,  either  with  each  other  or 
against  time,  were  most  exciting.  There  being  no  parallel  lines 
of  railroad,  passengers  depended  on  steamboats  for  rapid  tran- 
sit, and  the  boat  that  could  make  the  quickest  time  in  her  par- 
ticular trade  was  the  most  popular  with  the  traveling  public. 
Racing  on  the  rivers  then  was  a  common  occurrence. 

The  quickest  time  ever  made  from  New  Orleans  to  Cincin- 
nati was  5  days  and  IS  hours,  in  1843,  by  the  "Duke  of  Orleans." 
"The  Diana"  made  a  quick  trip  two  years  later,  but  outside  of 
that  one  instance  no  effort  to  make  fast  time  was  made  by  any 
steamboat  till  the  "Charles  Morgan,"  in  June,  1877,  left  New  Or- 
leans 24  hours  later  than  the  Robert  Mitchell,  passed  the  latter 
at  Hawesville,  and  made  the  time  to  Cincinnati  in  6  days  and 
11  hours,  having  made  42  way  landings  and  lost  three  and  a 
half  hours  getting  through  the  canal  at  Louisville.  In  April, 
of  the  same  year,  the  "Thompson  Dean"  made  the  run  in  6  days 
and  19  hours,  and  had  lost  14  hours  in  the  canal  and  17  hours 
at  way  landings.  The  "R.  R.  Springer,"  in  1881,  came  through 
from  New  Orleans  to  Cincinnati  in  5  days,  12  hours  and  45  min- 
utes' running  time,  which  was  the  quickest  made  since  the 
trip  of  the  "Duke  of  Orleans."  Her  best  time  was  made  while 
in  the  Mississippi  River.  From  the  time  she  reached  the 
mouth  of  the  Ohio,  until  she  arrived  at  Cincinnati,  her  speed 
decreased.  She  consumed  22  hours  and  5  minutes  more  time 
from  New  Orleans  to  Cairo,  than  did  the  "R.  E.  Lee,"  in  1870.  In 
March,  1881,  the  "Will  S.Hays"  made  the  run  in  6  days,  17  hours 
and  10  minutes,  from  port  to  port,  having  made  51  landings 
and  met  with  several  unusual  detentions. 

X^To  illustrate  that  speed  has  been  steadily  increasing  where 
speed  was  an  object,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  in  1817  the 
"Enterprise"  made  the  trip  from  New  Orleans  to  Louisville  in 
25  days,  2  hours  and  4  minutes,  and  the  "Washington"  in  25 
days.  Two  years  later,  the  "Shelby"  made  it  in  20  days,  4 
hours  and  20  minutes.  In  1828,  the  "Paragon"  in  18  days  and 
10  hours.  Within  the  next  five  or  six  vears  the  advancement 


248  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

in  speed  was  more  rapid,  as  the  "Tecuinseh,"  in  1834,  was  only 
8  days  and  4  hours  from  port  to  port.  Three  years  later,  the 
"Sultana"  made  the  run  in  6  days  and  15  hours,  and  the  "Ex- 
press" in  6  days  and  15  hours.  ^ 

In  1842,  the  "Ed  Shippen"  was  claimed  to  have  covered 
the  distance  in  5  days  and  14  hours,  which  time  was  not  beaten 
till  1849,  when  the  "Sultana"  cut  it  down  to  5  days  and  12 
hours,  and  this  was  again  cut  down  by  the  "Bostona,"  in  1851, 
to  5  days  and  8  hours,  and  further  reduced  by  the  "Belle  Key," 
the  next  year,  to  4  days  and  20  hours,  and  by  the  "Reindeer," 
in  1853,  to  4  days,  19  hours  and  45  minutes,  the  "Eclipse"  to  4 
days,  9  hours  and  31  minutes,  and  the  "A.  L.  Shotwell"  to  4 
days,  9  hours  and  19  minutes.  In  1832,  the  steamer  "Diana" 
received  from  the  Postoffice  Department  of  the  United  States 
a  prize  of  f  500  in  gold,  which  had  been  offered  to  the  first  boat 
that  would  make  the  run  from  New  Orleans  to  Louisville  in- 
side of  6  days.  Her  time  was  5  days,  23  hours  and  15  minutes. 

Steamboat  racing  did  not  end  with  the  decade  of  the 
thirties.  On  the  contrary,  many  exciting  races  have  since  been 
engaged  in  when  the  boats  happened  to  leave  a  given  port  at 
one  time  and  were  pointed  in  the  same  direction. 

Among  the  races  of  former  years,  there  were  none  more  ex- 
citing than  that  between  the  "Baltic"  and  "Diana,"  from  New 
Orleans,  some  time  in  the  fifties — perhaps  about  1854.  During 
that  period  a  number  of  handsome  steamers  were  engaged  in 
the  trade  from  Louisville  to  New  Orleans,  which  would  gen- 
erally go  into  the  latter  city  fully  laden,  take  enough  freight 
for  ballast,  and  all  the  passengers  that  wanted  to  come,  and 
hurry  back  to  Louisville  for  another  cargo.  They  kept  out  of 
the  way  of  each  other  as  much  as  possible,  by  leaving  Louis- 
ville on  different  days,  but  sometimes  it  would  happen  that 
two  would  leave  New  Orleans  on  the  same  day.  The  "Baltic" 
and  "Diana"  left  New  Orleans  together,  the  "Baltic"  slightly 
in  the  lead.  Neither  of  the  boats  had  ever  exhibited  remark- 
able speed,  and  while  this  was  what  might  be  called  a  slow 
race,  it  was  the  longest  race  that  ever,  was  contested,  and  very- 
exciting  to  the  passengers  and  crews  on  both.  The  distance  is 
1,480  miles,  and  there  was  not  an  hour  of  the  time  occupied  by 
the  trip  that  the  two  boats  were  not  in  sight  or  hearing  of 
each  other.  An  artist,  who  was  on  board  the  "Baltic"  at  the 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  249 

time  as  a  passenger,  immortalized  the  event  by  transferring 
to  canvas,  in  oil,  a  night  scene,  in  which  were  depicted  the  two 
imposing  steamers  in  the  foreground.  Chromo  imitations  of 
the  picture  were  afterward  made,  and  met  a  rapid  and 
profitable  sale.  The  "Baltic"  won  the  race,  more  by  reason  of 
mismanagement  on  the  "Diana"  than  because  she  was  the  fas- 
ter of  the  two. 

The  speed  gained  by  steamboats  as  the  years  rolled  by,  it 
may  be  noted  that,  in  1844,  the  quickest  recorded  trip  from  New 
Orleans  to  Cairo  was  made  by  the  "J.  M.  White,"  in  3  days,  6 
hours  and  44  minutes ;  in  1852,  by  the  "Reindeer,"  in  3  days,  12 
hours  and  45  minutes;  in  1853,  by  the  "Eclipse,"  in  3  days, 
4  hours  and  4  minutes,  and  by  the  "A.  L.  Shotwell"  in  3  days,  3 
hours  and  40  minutes.  This  time  was  not  shortened  till  1870, 
when  the  "R  E.  Lee"  (her  second  run)  "set  the  pegs"  at  3  days, 
1  hour  and  1  minute,  which  remains  the  quickest  time  to  this 
da}r.  The  distance  is  1,040  miles. 

In  May,  1882,  four  quick  trips  were  made  from  Helena  to 
Memphis.  The  first  was  made  by  the  "Belle  Memphis,"  in  5 
hours  and  53  minutes;  the  second  by  the  "City  of  Cairo,"  in  5 
hours  and  52  minutes;  the  third,  by  the  "City  of  Providence," 
in  5  hours  and  493/2  minutes,  and  the  last  by  the  "James  Lee," 
in  5  hours  and  14  minutes.  In  March,  of  the  next  year,  the 
"Kate  Adams"  made  the  run  in  5  hours  and  18%  minutes. 

Cut-offs  in  the  stretch  of  river  between  Helena  and  Mem- 
phis had  reduced  the  distance  about  15  miles  since  the  "Lee"- 
"Natchez"  race.  The  time  of  the  "Lee"  was  6  hours  and  43  min- 
utes, and  this  had  been  beaten  May,  1853,  by  the  "Eclipse," 
which  made  the  run  in  6  hours  and  17  minutes,  and  by  the 
"Peytona"  several  years  before,  in  6  hours  and  36  minutes. 
The  distance  has  been  shortened  by  cut-offs  and  changes  of 
channel  about  30  miles  between  the  time  the  "Peytona"  ran, 
and  the  time  that  the  four  boats  first  named  ran,  when  the 
distance  was  not  more  than  90  miles.  Cut-offs  are  no  advantage 
to  an  ascending  steamer,  as  they  create  a  strong  current. 

X  From  New  Orleans  to  Natchez — distance,  273  miles — the 
quickest  time  made,  in  1814,  was  5  days  and  10  hours,  by  the 
"Comet";  in  1815,  the  "Enterprise"  occupied  4  days,  11  hours 
and  20  minutes  in  making  the  same  trip,  and  this  was  cut  down 
two  years  later — 3  days  and  20  hours,  by  the  "Shelby."  Two 


250  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

years  later  still,  the  "Paragon"  made  it  in  12  hours  less  time, 
land  set  the  pegs  for  the  next  9  years,  when,  in  1828,  the 
"Tecumseh"  consumed  only  3  days,  1  hour  and  20  minutes. 
This  time  was  first  beaten  in  1834,  when  the  "Tuscarora"  made 
the  trip  in  1  day  and  21  hours,  and  it  was  cut  down  four  years 
later  by  the  "Natchez,"  to  1  day  and  17  hours.  In  1840,  the  "Ed- 
ward Shippen"  reduced  the  time  to  1  day  and  8  hoursy^In  1844, 
days  were  no  longer  of  use  in  stating  the  time  necessary  for  the 
trip,  as  the  "Sultana"  made  it  in  19  hours  and  45  minutes, 
which  was  not  beaten  till  1853,  when  the  new  "Natchez"  shor- 
tened it  to  17  hours  and  30  minutes.  The  "Princess"  made  the 
same  time  in  1856.  In  their  great  race  from  New  Orleans  to 
St.  Louis,  in  1870,  the  "Natchez"  and  "Kobert  E.  Lee"  both  set 
the  pegs  at  17  hours  a'nd  11  minutes. 

No  steamboat  race  ever  excited  so  much  interest  through- 
out the  civilized  world  as  that  which  took  place  between  the 
"Robert  E.  Lee"  and  "Natchez"  in  June,  1870,  from  New  Or- 
leans to  St.  Louis.  On  the  24th  of  that  month  the  "Natchez" 
had  arrived  at  St.  Louis,  having  overcome  the  distance  from 
New  Orleans,  1,218  miles,  in  3  days,  21  hours  and  58  minutes. 
From  the  time  that  she  was  built,  at  Cincinnati,  much  rivalry 
in  regard  to  speed  had  been  exhibited  between  her  and  the 
"Robert  E.  Lee,"  which  was  built  at  New  Albany  during  the 
war,  and  was  towed  across  the  river  to  the  Kentucky  side  to 
have  her  name  painted  on  her  wheel-houses,  a  measure  of 
safety  that  was  deemed  prudent  at  that  exciting  time.  Both 
boats  had  their  friends  and  admirers,  as  did  the  captains  of 
both.  Capt.  John  W.  Cannon  commanded  the  "Lee,"  and  Capt. 
Thomas  P.  Leathers,  owner  of  the  "Natchez"  and  her  half-dozen 
or  more  predecessors  of  the  same  name,  commanded  the 
"Natchez"  of  that  time.  Both  were  experienced  steamboat- 
men,  but  as  the  sequel  proved,  Captain  Cannon  was  the  better 
strategist.  While  both  boats  had  their  friends,  the  name  of 
the  "Robert  E.  Lee"  was  most  honored  and  most  popular  along 
the  Mississippi  River. 

Before  the  return  of  the  "Natchez"  to  New  Orleans,  Cap- 
tain Cannon  had  determined  that  the  "Lee"  should  beat  the 
record  of  her  rival,  the  fastest  that  had  ever  been  made  over 
the  course.  He  stripped  the  "Lee"  for  the  race,  removed  all 
parts  of  her  upper  works  that  were  calculated  to  catch  the 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  251 

wind;  removed  all  rigging  and  outfit,  that  could  be  dispensed 
with,  to  lighten  her,  as  the  river  was  low  in  some  places;  en- 
gaged the  steamer  "Frank  Pargoud"  to  precede  her  a  100  miles 
up  the  river,  to  supply  coal;  arranged  with  coal  yards  to  have 
fuel  flats  awaiting  her,  in  the  middle  of  the  river,  at  given 
points,  to  be  taken  in  tow  under  way,  until  the  coal  could  be 
transferred  to  the  deck  of  the  "Lee,"  and  then  to  be  cut  loose 
and  float  back.  He  refused  all  business  of  every  kind,  and 
would  receive  no  passengers. 

The  "Natchez''  returned  to  New  Orleans  and  received  a 
few  hundred  tons  of  freight,  and  also  a  few  passengers,  and 
was  advertised  to  leave  again  for  St.  Louis,  June  30th.  At  4.45 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  "Kobert  E.  Lee"  backed  out  from 
the  levee,  and  five  minutes  later  the  "Natchez"  followed  her, 
but  without  such  elaborate  preparation  for  a  race  as  had  been 
made  on  the  "Lee,"  Captain  Leathers  feeling  confident  that  he 
could  pass  the  latter  within  the  first  hundred  miles. 

A  steamer  had  preceded  the  racing  boats  up  the  river 
many  miles,  to  witness  all  that  could  be  seen  of  the  great  race 
that  was  to  be.  The  telegraph  informed  the  people,  along  both 
banks  of  the  river,  and  the  world-at-large,  of  the  coming  great 
struggle  for  supremacy  in  point  of  speed,  and  the  world  looked 
on  with  as  much  interest  as  it  wrould  had  it  been  an  event  local 
to  every  part  of  it.  Wherever  there  was  human  habitation, 
the  people  collected  on  the  bank  of  the  mighty  river  to  observe 
the  passage  of  the  two  steamers.  The  "Lee"  gained  slightly 
every  100  miles,  as  the  race  progressed,  which  gain,  at 
Natchez,  300  miles  from  the  starting  point,  amounted  to  10 
minutes,  attributable  more  to  landings  that  had  been  made  by 
the  "Natchez"  for  fuel,  than  anything  else.  The  people  of  the 
whole  city  of  Natchez  viewed  the  race.  At  the  bend,  at  Vicks- 
burg,  although  the  two  steamers  were  10  milefc  apart  by  the 
course  of  the  river,  the  smoke  of  each  was  plainly  discernible 
from  the  other.  Thousands  of  people  were  congregated  on  the 
bluffs.  At  Helena,  and  other  points,  it  seemed  that  the  popula- 
tion, for  miles  back  from  the  river,  had  turned  out  to  witness 
the  greatest  race  of  this  or  any  other  age. 

At  Memphis,  10,000  people  looked  at  the  passing  steamers, 
neither  of  which  landed,  the  "Natchez,"  by  this  time,  having 
adopted  the  "Lee's"  method  of  receiving  fuel.  At  every  point 


252  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

where  there  wras  a  telegraph  instrument,  the  hour  and  the 
minute  of  the  passing  steamers  were  ticked  to  all  points  of 
America  that  could  be  reached,  and  newspapers  throughout 
the  country  displayed  bulletins,  denoting  the  progress  of  the' 
boats. 

The  time  of  passing  Memphis,  Vicksburg,  and  Cairo  was 
cabled  to  Europe.  When  Cairo  was  reached  the  race  was  vir- 
tually ended,  but  the  "Lee"  proceeded  to  St.  Louis,  arriving 
there  in  3  days,  18  hours  and  30  minutes,  from  the  time  she  left 
New  Orleans,  beating  by  3  hours  and  28  minutes  the  previous 
time  of  the  "Natchez."  The  latter  steamer  had  grounded,  and 
run  into  a  fog  between  Memphis  and  Cairo,  which  delayed  her 
more  than  6  hours. 

When  the  "Lee'7  arrived  at  St.  Louis,  30,000  people 
crowded  the  wharf,  the  windows  and  the  housetops  to  receive 
her.  No  similar  event  had  ever  created  so  much  excitement. 
Captain  Cannon  was  tendered  a  banquet  by  the  business  men 
of  the  city,  and  was  generally  lionized  while  he  remained  there. 
It  was  estimated  that  more  than  f  1,000,000  had  been  wagered 
on  the  race  by  the  friends  of  the  two  steamers.  Many  of  the 
bets  were  drawn,  on  the  ground  that  the  "Lee"  had  been  as- 
sisted the  first  TOO  miles  by  the  power  of  the  "Frank  Pargoud" 
added  to  her  own;  and  men  of  the  coolest  judgment  have  ever 
since  regarded  the  "Natchez"  as  the  faster  boat,  but  out- 
generaled by  the  commander  of  the  other. 

TIME  OF  THE  "R.  E.  LEE,"  FROM  NEW  ORLEANS  TO  ST.  LOUIS, 

MO.,  IN  JULY,  1870. 

Left  the  wharf  at  New  Orleans,  June  30, 1870,  at  4.55  P.  M., 
and  reached  the  wharf  boat  at  St.  Louis,  July  4,  at  11.25  A.  M. 

Days.      Hours.     Min. 

Time  to  Baton  Rouge -  8  25 

"      "  Natchez,       273  miles -  17  11 

"      "  Vicksburg,  393       "     1  9  31 

"      "  Memphis,     m      "     2  g 

"      "  Cairo,         1,I4§       " 3  1 

"      "  St.  Louis,  1,218      "     .- 3  18  3i 

While  there  are  now  many  large,  fine  passenger  steam- 
boats on  the  western  rivers,  still  their  numbers  are  much  less 
than  thirty  years  ago;  the  extension  of  the  railroads  in  that 
time  in  the  West,  and  the  low  comparative  cost  of  freight  car- 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  253 

riage  by  that  means,  have  made  it  a  poor  investment  to  sub- 
scribe toward  the  building  of  a  line  of  passenger  boats  on  the 
rivers  of  late  years.  Providing  the  government  were  to  take 
more  interest  in  the  future  to  improve  the  navigation  of  the 
Ohio  and  the  Mississippi  Rivers,  by  generous  appropriations, 
there  is  no  doubt  but  that  a  great  deal  of  the  natural  products 
of  the  Middle  West  and  Mississippi  Valley,  that  now  find  their 
way  by  rail  to  the  Atlantic  Coast,  would  be  forwarded  by  the 
river  route  to  New  Orleans,  and  there  find  its  way  to  foreign 
countries  by  steamers  sailing  from  the  latter  port.  The  better 
the  condition  of  navigation  on  the  rivers,  the  lower  the  rates 
of  insurance  on  floating  property,  which  is  something  of  an 
item  of  expense. 

There  were  a  few  steamboats  in  the  early  days  on  the 
western  rivers  that  had  what  we  would  now  call  a  collision 
bulkhead.  In  all  probability,  not  so  well  designed,  nor  con- 
structed, and  being  built  of  wood  not  always  tight.  We  find 
that  in  1820  the  "Columbus"  was  "perforated  by  a  snag,  and 
only  saved  from  sinking  by  having  a  snag  room,  which  apart- 
raent  only  was  filled  with  water."  In  1824,  the  "Caledonia," 
running  on  the  Mississippi  River,  also  had  a  snag  room. 

They  also  had  some  of  the  present  modern  improvements 
in  the  shape  of  compound  engines,  in  1844,  on  the  western 
rivers,  then  denominated  "Clipper"  engines,  from  the  name 
of  the  first  steamboat  to  which  they  were  fitted.  There  were 
six  steamboats  in  all  having  this  type  of  engine  on  the  western 
rivers.  The  "Clipper"  had  a  pair  of  engines,  each  engine  hav- 
ing cylinders  of  16  inches  and  32  inches  by  8  feet  stroke.  There 
was  no  further  building. of  compound  engines  until  Andrew 
Hartupee,  of  Pittsburg,  constructed  those  for  the  "Dictator,"  of 
1,500  tons,  in  1865,  for  the  St.  Louis  &  N.  O.  trade.  The  "Quick- 
step," of  500  tons,  in  1866.  for  Ohio  River,  came  next,  with  the 
"Great  Republic,"  for  the  Mississippi  River,  in  1867.  These 
were  followed,  in  1870,  by  compound  engines,  in  the  large  tow- 
boat  "John  A.  Woods,"  and  in  1876,  in  a  much  larger  towboat, 
the  "Jos.  B.  Williams."  There  were  several  smaller  vessels 
with  Hartupee's  compound  engines,  built  at  a  later  date. 
Within  a  few  years  there  have  been  a  few  built  for  the  upper 
Mississippi  River  business. 

As  to  iron-hull  steamboats  on  the  western  rivers,  the  first 


254  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

built  in  the  United  States  was  named  "United  States,"  con- 
structed by  the  West  Point  Foundry,  at  New  York,  in  1838, 
for  service  on  Lake  Pontchartrain  and  canal  at  New  Orleans, 
La.  This  was  a  double-hull  boat,  110x26x3.6,  with  a  paddle 
wheel  in  the  space  between  the  hulls.  The  first  single  iron  hull 
built  in  the  United  States  was  the  "Valley  Forge,"  built  by 
Robinson  &  Minis,  steam-engine  builders,  at  Pittsburg,  Pa., 
and  completed  in  December,  1839.  The  next  year,  the  material 
for  an  iron  hull,  built  in  England,  was  received  and  re-erected 
at  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  and  the  vessel  named  "W.  W.  Fry."  In 
November,  1840,  the  vessel  left  Louisville  for  Mobile,  Ala., 
where  she  did  service  until  worn  out,  about  1860.  It  may  be 
said,  in  passing  on  this  subject,  that  there  were  four  iron  hulls 
constructed  by  the  same  builder  as  the  "W.  W.  Fry" — John 
Laird,  of  Birkenhead — for  the  Savannah  River,  between  1834 
and  1838,  and  the  vessels  used  as  passenger  and  towboats. 
They  were  about  120  feet  long. 

Nothing  further  was  done  in  this  line,  excepting  the  naval 
steamer  "Alleghany,"  in  1847,  and  three  revenue  steamers, 
about  the  same  time,  with  the  iron-clad  monitors  during  the 
Civil  War,  until  1870,  when  the  "Clyde"  was  built  by  the  Iowa 
Iron  W^orks  at  Dubuque,  Iowa,  and,  in  1871,  the  stern- wheeler 
"John  T.  Moore"  was  constructed  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and,  in 
1874,  the  Western  Iron  Boat  Building  Co.,  at  Carondelet,  Mo., 
built  the  snag-boat  "O.  G.  Wagner."  This  company  built  about 
twelve  more  vessels,  some  of  large  size,  before  going  out  of 
business  in  1883.  There  are  at  the  present  time  four  or  five 
yards  on  the  western  rivers  where  iron-hull  vessels  are  con- 
structed, two  of  the  yards  having  started  at  New  Orleans,  La., 
in  1899,  where  there  is  considerable  repair  work  on  the  ocean 
freighters  running  to  that  port. 

Wire  tiller  rope  was  made  at  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  as  an  ex- 
periment as  early  as  1839,  for  use  on  the  western  river  boats. 
So  many  vessels  had  been  burned,  and  during  the  early  stages 
of  a  fire  on  board  a  vessel  the  Manila  rope  was  about  the 
first  thing  to  go,  that  they  sought  a  body  for  the  rope  that 
was  not  so  easily  consumed. 

The  deepest  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  River,  prior  to  1840, 
was  the  Northeast  pass,  that  had  12  feet  of  water,  but  at  a 
later  date  shoaled  up,  and  the  Southwest  pass  was  found  to 


WESTERN    RIVEES.  255 

answer  for  the  size  of  A'essels  calling  at  New. Orleans,  the 
steam  vessels  being  mainly  those  running  to  Texas  ports  and 
to  Mobile,  being  not  over  600  tons.  After  1849,  when  the 
California  trade  opened  and  steamers  running  from  New  York 
to  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  called  at  New  Orleans,  an  in- 
creased depth  of  water  was  required  on  account  of  the  larger 
size  of  the  vessels  employed.  Measures  were  then  taken  to 
deepen  the  channel,  as  many  vessels  grounded  on  the  bar,  and 
in  some  cases  were  compelled  to  lighten  their  cargo  to  get 
safely  over  the  shoals.  In  1852,  there  was  observed  in  the 
channel,  on  the  bar,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Southwest  pass,  the 
least  depth  of  13  feet,  at  the  time  of  lowest  water;  in  the 
South  pass  a  depth  of  6  feet,  at  the  Northeast  pass  a  depth 
of  10  feet,  and  at  the  pass  A'loutre',  13  feet.  In  1853,  dredging 
was  resorted  to,  and  18  feet  of  water  obtained  at  Southwest 
pass.  In  three  years  the  channel  had  filled  up  again,  when 
a  contract  was  made  for  opening  Southwest  pass  and  pass 
A'loutre,  with  a  channel  depth  of  20  feet,  but  for  two  or  three 
years  a  depth  of  18  feet  could  only  be  maintained.  The  war 
then  came  on  and  the  passes  were  neglected  for  more  im- 
portant business. 

In  1867,  an  appropriation  was  made  by  Congress  for  the 
improvement  of  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  the  engineers' 
bureau  of  the  War  Department  assumed  charge  of  the  work. 
A  steam-propeller  dredge  was  constructed  by  the  Atlantic 
Works,  of  East  Boston,  Mass.,  in  that  year,  and  named  "Es- 
sayons."  This  vessel  was  160'x30'x20',  and  was  fitted  with 
engines  placed  in  opposite  ends  of  the  vessel,  and  operated 
separate  and  distinct  from  one  another.  The  forward  pro- 
peller was  six-bladed  and  14  feet  diameter,  and  used  for 
stirring  up  the  deposit  of  the  bottom.  There  was  a  mud  keel 
on  this  end  of  the  vessel,  extending  lengthwise  about  6  feet, 
and  3  feet  below  the  keel  proper.  The  after-propeller  was  12 
feet  in  diameter,  and  employed  in  the  propulsion  of  the  vessel. 
The  draft  of  water  was  regulated  by  water-tanks.  There  was 
a  second  steam-propeller  dredge  built  by  John  Roach  &  Son, 
in  1872,  with  slightly  larger  hull,  and  named  "Genl.  M.  D. 
McAlester."  In  1868  the  bar  on  Southwest  pass  had  a  least 
depth  of  13  feet,  and  on  pass  A'loutre  11  feet.  The  largest 
of  the  coastwise  steamships,  side-wheel  and  propeller,  running 


256  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

to  New  Orleans  at  this  time,  had  a  loaded  draft  of  from  14  to 
18  feet.  These  large  propellers,  to  cross  the  bar,  resorted  to 
the  scheme  of  dredging  the  channel  for  their  passage,  by 
backing  in,  stirring  up  the  mud  and  working  themselves  across 
the  bar.  This  was  the  principle  of  the  steam  dredge.  When 
there  was  a  fleet  trying  to  get  over  at  the  same  time,  there 
was  often  a  great  delay,  for  some  vessel  would  get  aground 
and  delay  those  following  sometimes  a  day  or  more.  The 
side  wheelers  had  to  plough  their  way  through.  It  was  ex- 
pected with  these  dredge  boats  to  obtain  and  maintain  a 
depth  of  20  feet  over  the  bar,  but  after  four  years'  work  it  was 
found  impossible  to  obtain  more  than  19  feet  at  the  maximum, 
and  at  times  shoaling  down  to  17  feet.  In  1873  it  was 
reported  that  "the  work  is  not  susceptible  of  permanent  com- 
pletion." It  was  at  this  time  that  larger  steamships  were 
building  for  the  old  lines  running  coastwise  to  $ew  Orleans, 
and  two  new  foreign  lines  were  ready  to  enter  the  foreign 
trade  at  the  same  time.  These  latter  had  been  attracted  by 
the  growing  importance  of  New  Orleans  as  a  .point  for  the 
export  of  grain  in  bulk,  in  consequence  of  the  cheapness  and 
facility  with  which  grain  in  bulk  could  be  delivered  in  model 
barges  from  points  on  the  Mississippi  River  and  its  tributaries. 
Congress  now  recognized  its  responsibility  in  the  matter, 
and  in  1874  invited  plans  for  the  improvement  of  the  mouth 
of  the  river.  A  ship  canal  from  Fort  St.  Philip  to  the  Gulf, 
and  the  building  of  jetties  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  were 
recommended.  This  latter  project  was  strongly  advocated  by 
James  I>.  Eads,  who  had  solved  several  difficult  engineering 
problems  in  the  West  at  that  period.  There  was  considerable 
friction  between  the  advocates  of  the  rival  systems  that  was 
carried  into  the  halls  of  legislation,  and  it  resulted,  after  being 
referred  to  a  committee  composed  of  three  army  engineers, 
three  engineers  from  civil  life,  and  one  from  the  United  States 
Coast  Survey,  as  to  the  proper  method  of  opening  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  in  favor  of  the  jetty  plan,  to  be  applied  to  the 
South  pass.  Capt.  James  B.  Eads  made  a  contract  to  obtain 
a  channel  20  feet  deep  in  thirty  months  from  March  3,  1875, 
and  having  obtained  such  a  channel,  he  was  to  receive  $500,000 
tor  every  two  feet  in  depth  until  a  depth  of  30  feet  was 
obtained.  He  was  to  receive  |500,000,  with  additional  pay- 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  25? 

ments  for  maintaining  the  channel.  There  was  also  a  pro- 
vision in  the  contract  which  gave  Capt.  Eads  f  100,000  a  year 
for  twenty  years,  for  maintaining  and  keeping  the  jetty  works 
in  repair.  The  method  adopted  in  constructing  these  jetties 
was  in  the  use  of  willow  mattresses  laid  in  layers  and 
weighted  with  stone,  and  on  this  foundation  a  concrete  wall 
was  built.  The  east  jetty,  as  constructed,  is  21/3  miles  long, 
and  the  west  jetty  is  1%  miles.  They  were  completed  in  July, 
1879,  and  the  depth  of  water  at  the  South  pass  that  was  in 
1875  on  the  bar  but  14  feet  had  been  increased  at  the  time 
of  the  completion  of  the  jetties,  to  from  27  to  30  feet,  with  a 
navigable  channel  from  the  head  of  the  passes  of  26  feet  and 
a  width  of  165  feet.  The  cost  of  the  construction  of  these 
jetties  to  the  government  has  been  near  to  |6,000,000.  Ac- 
cording to  the  latest  survey,  there  is  in  the  channel,  between 
the  jetties  and  the  head  of  the  passes,  a  depth  of  water  ranging 
from  28  feet  to  33  feet.  Dredging  has  to  be  resorted 'to  at 
times,  for  the  mud  banks  keep  forming  through  some  sub- 
terranean agency,  and  shoaling  up  the  channel. 

DIMENSIONS  OF  SOME  OP  THE  PROMINENT  WESTERN-RIVER 
STEAMBOATS  RUNNING  IN  1850. 

"Clipper  No.  2."— Hull,  215'x32'x6'9 ;  water  wheels,  25'x 
11'4;  boilers,  4  of  26/x36";  engines,  2  of  compound  type, 
with  16"  and  32"  cylinders  by  8  feet  stroke  to  each  engine; 
shaft,  12"  diameter;  steam  pressure,  150  Ibs. 

"Brilliant."— Hull,  227'x32'x7'6 ;  water  wheels,  29'6x 
11/4;  boilers,  5  of  26y/x40";  engines,  2  of  26"x8';  steam 
pressure,  140  Ibs. 

"Keystone  State."— Hull,  250'x30'x7'6;  water  wheels, 
30'xl2';  boilers,  4  of  30'x42",  with  18"  flues;  engines,  2  of 
25%  "x8';  steam  pressure,  140  Ibs. 

"Buckeye  State."— Hull,  264'x30'x7'10;  water  wheels, 
31'xll'6;  boilers,  5  of  30'x42",  with  18"  flues;  engines,  2  of 
29"x8';  steam  pressure,  140  Ibs. 

"Messenger  No.  2."— Hull,  244'x31'x7'3;  water  wheels, 
30'xl2';  boilers,  5  of  30'x40",  with  16"  flues;  engines,  2  of 
28"x7'6;  steam  pressure,  150  Ibs. 

"Cincinnati."— Hull,  242'x31'x7'4;  water  wheels,  32'6x 
11';  engines,  2  of  24"x7';  boilers,  4  of  28'x40". 


258  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

"Hibernia  No.  2."— Hull,  226'x28'x7';  engines,  2  of  28"x8'; 
boilers,  5  of  27'x40";  water  wheels,  26'xl2'. 

"Ben  Franklin."— Hull,  255'x34'x7';  engines,  2  of  30"x8'; 
boilers,  6  of  32'x40";  water  wheels,  27%'xl4'7. 

"Bostona."— Hull,  265'x34'x7'6;  engines,  2  of  27"x 
9';  boilers,  5  of  34'x42";  water  wheels,  30'xl 4'. 

"Alex.  Scott."— Hull,  266'x34'x8';  engines,  2  of  25"xlO'; 
boilers,  6  of  31'x42";  water  wheels,  30'xl5'. 

"Peytona."— Hull,  265'x33'x8';  engines,  2  of  30"xlO'; 
boilers,  6  of  32'6x42";  water  wheels,  30'xl6'. 

"Magnolia."— Hull,  295'x35'x9';  engines,  2  of  30"xlO'; 
boilers,  6  of  30'x42";  water  wheels,  40'xl2'. 

RUNNNING    AFTER    1850. 

"Arkansas  City,"  1882.— Hull,  275'x44'x8';  engines,  2  of 
26"x9';  boilers,  5  of  30'x44";  water  wheels,  34'xl4'6. 

"Annie  P.  Silver,"  1878.— Hull,  300'x40'x9'. 

"A.  L.  Shotwell,"  1852.— Hull,  310'x36'x8' ;  engines,  2  of 
30"xlO';  boilers,  6  of  32'x42";  water  wheels,  37'xl5'. 

"A.  0.  Donnelly,"  1876.— Hull,  283'x41'x7'4 ;  engines,  2 
of  22"x7'. 

"Bostona,"  1879.— Hull,  302'6x42'x6' ;  engines,  2  of  25"x 
8';  boilers,  4  of  3()'x47";  water  wheels,  27'xl6'. 

"Belle  Lee,"  1868.— Hull,  300'x43'x9'6;  engines,  2  of 
34y2"x9';  boilers,  8  of  30'x40". 

"Bismarck,"  1867.— Hull,  287'x45'6x9';  engines,  2  of 
26y2"x9';  'boilers,  5  of  26'x40". 

"Belle  Memphis,"  1866.— Hull,  275'x42'6x8'4 ;  engines,  2 
of  27"x8';  boilers,  5  of  28'x44";  water  wheels,  34'xl4'6. 

"Belle  of  Shreveport,"  1872.— Hull,  250'x43'x6'9 ;  engines, 
2  of  22"x7';  boilers,  4  of  24'x38". 

"Charles  Morgan,"  1874.— Hull,  302'x43/x7/6 ;  engines,  2 
of  28"x8'. 

"Charles  P.  Chouteau,"  1876.— Hull,  300'x56'x7'8;  engines, 
2  of  22"x8';  boilers,  4  of  32'x42". 

"Centennial,"  1876.— Hull,  300'x41'x7'8;  engines,  2  of 
26"x7';  boilers,  4  of  32'x42". 

"City  of  Greenville,"  1879.— Hull,  275'x45'4x9' ;  engines, 
2  of  26"xlO';  boilers,  5  of  32'x42". 

"City  of  Providence,"  1880.— Hull,  283'x44'x8'6 ;  engines, 
2  of  26"x9';  boilers,  5  of  30'x44";  water  wheels,  34'xl4'6. 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  259 

"City  of  Alton,"  1873.— Hull,  280/x50'x9';  engines,  2  of 
30"x9';  boilers,  5  of  28'x44". 

"City  of  Vicksburg,"  1870.— Hull,  280'x44'x8'6 ;  engines, 
2  of  26"x9';  boilers,  5  of  30'x44". 

"City  of  Cairo,"  1864.— Hull,  272'x44'x7'6 ;  engines,  2  of 
26"x9';  boilers,  5  of  30'x44";  water  wheels,  35'xl5'. 

"City  of  Quincy,"  1870.— Hull,  275'x47'x6'8;  engines,  2  of 
28"xl(K;  boilers,  5*  of  26'x4.1". 

"City  of  New  Orleans,"  1881.— Hull,  3(KKx49'6x9'6 ;  draft, 
3'7;  engines,  2  of  26"xlO';  boilers,  5  of  30'x44";  water  wheels, 
35'xl5'. 

"City  of  Baton  Rouge,"  1881.— Hull,  300'x49'6x9'6;  draft, 
3'7;  engines,  2  of  26"xlO';  boilers,  5  of  30'x44" ;  water  wheels, 
35'xl5'. 

"City  of  St.  Louis,"  1883.— Hull,  310'x49'6x9'6;  draft,  3'7; 
engines,  2  of  26"xlO';  boilers,  5  of  30'x44";  water  wheels, 
35'xl5'. 

"Charles  Bodman,"  1870,— Hull,  276'x46'6x7'6 ;  engines, 
2  of  26"x9'. 

"Commonwealth,"  1864.— Hull,  260'x43'x8'8 ;  engines,  2 
of  22"x9';  boilers,  6  of  28'x37". 

"Cherokee,"  1873.— Hull,  211'x39'x6';  engines,  2  of  16"x5'. 

"Dacotah,"  1879.— Hull,  250'x48'8x5'6 ;  engines,  2  of 
18"x7'. 

"Eclipse,"  1852.— Hull,  363'x36rx9r;  engines,  2  of  36"xll'; 
boilers,  8  of  32'6x42";  water  wheels,  41'xl4'. 

"Ed.  Richardson,"  1879.— Hull,  310'x50'xlOr6 ;  engines,  2 
of  38"xlO';  boilers,  9  of  32'x42";  water  wheels,  41'x— . 

"Ed.  J.  Cay,"  1859.— Hull,  250'x40'6x8'3 ;  engines,  2  of 
27"x8';  boilers,  .6  of  32'x42". 

"Exporter,"  1872.— Hull,  210'x48'x8';  engines,  2  of  22"x8'; 
boilers,  4  of  30'x40". 

"Fleetwood,"  1866.— Hull,  303'6x44'x7' ;  engines,  2  of 
25"x8'. 

"Fleetwood,"  1880.— Hull,  303rx44'x7';  engines,  2  of 
25"x8'6. 

"Fred  A.  Blanks,"  1879.— Hull,  260'x41'x9'6;  engines,  2 
of  26"x9';  boilers,  6  of  30'x42";  water  wheels,  32'6xl4'6. 

"Frank  Pargoud,"  1868.— Hull,  250'x41'x9'4;  engines,  2  of 
32"x9';  boilers,  7  of  28'x38";  water  wheels,  36'xl5'6. 


260  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

"Great  Republic,"  1867.— Hull,  328'x51'xlO' ;  2  engines  of 
compound  type,  with  cylinders  of  28"  and  56"  diameter  by 
10'  stroke  to  each  engine. 

"Grand  Republic,"  1876.— Hull,  350'x56'8xlO'6 ;  draft,  4'6; 
engines,  2  of  compound  type,  with  cylinders  of  28"  and  56" 
diameter  by  10'  stroke  to  each  engine;  boilers,  7  of  28'x42"; 
water  wheels,  38'6xl8';  engines  from  "Great  Republic." 

"Guiding  Star,"  1878.— Hull,  302'x40'4x7'6 ;  engines,  2  of 
26"x7'6. 

"Gem  City,"  1881.— Hull,  300'x46'x6';  engines,  2  of 
28"x7';  boilers,  4  of  28'x44". 

"Glencoe,"  1871.— Hull,  293'x44'x7'4 ;  engines,  2  of  24"x8'; 
boilers,  6  of  26'x37". 

"Golden  City,"  1876.— Hull,  280'x40'6x6'4 ;  stern  wheeler; 
engines,  2  of  22"x8';  boilers,  4  of  28'x47";  wheel,  25'x29'. 

"Golden  Crown,"  1877.— Hull,  261'6x41'x6'6;    engines,  2  of 
19"x7'. 

"Golden  Rule,"  1877.— Hull,  261'x41'x6'6;  engines,  2  of 
22"x7'. 

"General  Quitman,"  1859.— Hull,  260'x40'x8'6;  engines, 
2  of  30"xlO';  boilers,  7  of  30'x40". 

"Gold  Dust,"  1874.— Hull,  250'x40'x7'6;  engines,  2  of 
22"x7';  boilers,  4  of  32'x42". 

"Governor  Allen,"  1867.— Hull,  218'x41'xlO' ;  engines,  2 
of  27"x8';  boilers,  6  of  28'x38". 

"Henry  Frank,"  1878.— Hull,  276'x52'xlO'6 ;  engines,  2  of 
24"x9';  boilers,  6  of  28'x42". 

"Indiana,"  1865.— Hull,  263'x40'6x7'3;  engines,  2  of 
25"x8';  boilers,  5  of  26'x40". 

"Iron  Queen,"  1892.— Hull,  237'6x37'8x6' ;  engines,  2  'of 
18"x7';  boilers,  4  of  28'x42". 

"John  W.  Cannon,"  1878.— Hull,  262'6x43'x9'6 ;  engines,  2 
of  34"x9';  boilers,  7  of  34'x42";  water  wheels,  37'6xl6'. 

"John  K.  Speed,"  1892.— Hull,  261'x42'x8';  engines,  2  of 
22"x8';  boilers,  5  of  28'x44". 

"James  Howard,"  1871.— Hull,  330'x56'xlO';  engines,  2  of 
34"xl()';  boilers,  6  of  30'x40". 

"J.  M.  White,"  1844.— Hull,  250'x31'x8'4;  engines,  2  of 
30"xlO';  boilers,  7  of  32'x42";  water  wheels,  32'xl5'. 


WESTERN"    RIVERS.  261 

"J.  M.  White,"  1878.— Hull,  321'x49'xll' ;  engines,  2  of 
43"xll';  boilers,  11  of  34'x42";  water  wheels,  45'xl8'6. 

"John  A.  Scudder,"  1873.— Hull,  302'x50'6x8';  engines,  2 
of  28"x8';  boilers,  6  of  26'x40". 

"John  Kyle,"  1870.— Hull,  296'x49'x8';  engines,  2  of 
30"xlO';  boilers,  7  of  26'x37". 

"John  B.  Maude,"  1872.— Hull,  240'x36'x7'6 ;  engines,  2 
of  22"x6'6;  boilers,  4  of  26'x40". 

"Jesse  K.  Belle,"  1879.— Hull,  220'x41'x7';  engines,  2  of 
22"x8';  boilers,  4  of  30'x40". 

"Katie,"  1871.— Hull,  300'x45'xlO';  engines,  2  of  38"xlO'; 
boilers,  9  of  32'x40". 

"La  Belle,"  1869.— Hull,  238'x39'6x6'6;  engines,  2  of 
20"x6'6;  boilers,  4  of  26'x38". 

"Mary  Bell,"  1875.— Hull,  325'x56'xll';  engines,  2  of 
34"x9';  boilers,  6  of  30'x42". 

"Mary  Houston,"  1868.— Hull,  285'x40'8x7'8;  engines,  2  of 
22V2"x7'>  boilers,  5  of  24'x38". 

"Mayflower,"  1867.— Hull,  212'x34'x5';  engines,  2  of 
20%"x7';  boilers,  4  of  24'x40". 

"Natchez,"  1869.— Hull,  307'x43'xlO' ;  engines,  2  of 
34"xlO';  boilers,  8  of  34'x40"  water  wheels,  42'xl6'. 

"Natchez,"  1879.— Hull,  303'6x46'6xlO';  engines,  2  of 
34"xlO';  boilers,  8  of  36'x42";  water  wheels,  42'xl6'. 

"Nick  Longworth,"  1864.— Hull,  269'x48'x6'6;  engines,  2  of 
22"x7'6". 

"Ouachita  Belle,"  1870.— Hull,  218'x38'x8';  engines,  2  of 
28ys"x8';  boilers,  6  of  30'x38". 

"Princess,"  1855.— Hull,  280'x38'x9'4;  engines,  2  of 
34"x9';  boilers,  6  of  34'x42";  water  wheels,  40'x— . 

"Paris  C.  Brown,"  1878.— Hull,  262'6x39'x6'6;  engines,  2 
of  18"x7';  boilers,  4  of  26'x42". 

"Ruth,"  1865.— Hull,  309'x48'6x9'6  engines,  2  of  30"xlO'; 
boilers,  6  of  30'x44". 

"Richmond,"  1867.— Hull,  340/x50'x9r;  engines,  2  low 
pressure,  with  cylinders  60"xlO';  boilers,  6  of  28'x63". 

"Robert  E.  Lee,"  1866.— Hull,  300'x44'xlO';  engines,  2 'of 
40"xlO';  boilers,  8  of  32'x42";  water  wheels,  38'xl6'6". 

"Robert  E.  Lee,"  1876.— Hull,  315'x48'6xlO'6;  engines,  2 
of  40"xlO':  boilers,  9  of  32/x42";  water  wheels,  40'xl7'. 


2G2  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

"R.  R.  Springer,"  1879.— Hull,  294'6x41' 6x8'4 ;  engines,  2 
of  24"x8';  stern  wheeler;  boilers,  6  of  30'x40";  water  wheel, 
32'x— . 

"Robert  Mitchell,"  1871.— Hull,  270'x40'3x8';  engines,  2 
of  24"x8';  boilers,  4  of  2S'x40". 

"Susie  Silver,"  1870.— Hull,  260'x40'x6'6 ;  engines,  2  of 
22"x8';  boilers,  4  of  26'x40". 

"S.  H.  Parisot,"  1882.— Hull.  225'x41'x8';  stern  wheeler; 
engines,  2  of  23"x7';  boilers,  4  of  28'x45";  wheel,  23'x28'. 

"Thomas  Sherlock,"  1873.— Hull,  285'x45'x8'6;  engines,  2 
of  24"x8';  boilers,  5. 

"Torn  Jasper,"  1867.— Hull,  255'x41'x6'6;  engines,  2  of 
26"x7';  boilers,  4  of  22'x42". 

"Thompson  Dean,"  1871.— Hull,  306'x46'x9';  engines,  2 
of  30"xlO';  boilers,  7  of  30'x38". 

"U.  P.  Schenck,"  1876.— Hull,  251'x42'x6'6;  engines,  2  of 
21"x7';  boilers,  3  of  3()'x42". 

"W.  P.  Halliday,"  1879.— Hull,  285'x41'x9'3 ;  engines,  2  of 
24"xlO'. 

"Will  Kyle,"  1879.— Stern  wheeler;  hull,  265'x46'x6'4 ;  en- 
gines, 2  of  22"x7';  boilers,  4  of  30'x42";  water  wheel,  24'x34'. 

"Wild  Wagoner,"  1864.— Hull,  248'x38'x6';  engines,  2  of 
243/4"x7'6;  boilers,  5  of  24'x38". 

"Wade  Hampton,"  1870.— Hull,  218'x38'x8';  engines,  2  of 
28"x7';  boilers,  6  of  28'x38". 

"Will  S.  Hays,"  1883.— Hull,  305'x44'x9';  engines,  2  of 
28"xlO';  boilers,  6  of  28'x50";  water  wheels,  34'xl5'6". 

"Hudson,"  1886.— Hull,  223'x37'x6r;  engines,  2  of  20"x6'; 
stern  wheeler;  4  boilers;  water  wheel,  23'x27'. 

OHIO  RIVER  STEAMBOATS  IN  1860. 

"James  Trabue."— Hull,  180'x30'x6';  engines,  2  of  16i/2" 
cylinders  by  7  feet  stroke;  boilers,  2-28  feet  long  by  40  inches 
diameter;  steam  pressure,  135  Ibs.  per  inch;  water  wheels,  27 
feet  diameter  by  8  feet  face;  diameter  of  shaft,  10  inches. 

"Laurel  Hill."— Hull,  260'x32'x7'x4  feet  draft;  engines, 
2-30"x8';  boilers,  4-30'x42";  water  wheels,  38'xl2'  face; 
diameter  of  shaft,  16". 

"C.  D.  Junior."— Hull,  200'x30'x7  deep  by  3%  feet  draft; 
engines,  2  26"x8';  boilers,  4-28'x42",  with  2-15"  flues  in  each 


WESTERN    RIVERS.  263 

boiler;  water  wheels,  36'xll',  with  20  buckets  in  each  wheel; 
diameter  of  shaft,  15". 

"Belle  Key."— Hull,  260  feet  long,  34  feet  beam  by  7  feet 
deep  by  4  feet  draft;  engines,  2  of  25"  by  10  feet;  boilers, 
6  of  30'x40  inches,  with  2-14"  flues  in  each  boiler;  water 
wheels,  38'xl2'  face,  with  20  buckets  in  each  wheel;  diameter 
of  shaft,  17  inches;  consumption  of  fuel  every  24  hours,  720 
bushels  of  coal;  revolutions  water  wheels,  15  per  minute. 

"K.  W.  McRae."— Hull,  184'x34'x7'6 ;  engines,  2  of  25"x7; 
boilers,  4  of  26'x40";  water  wheels,  29'xll';  diameter  of 
shaft,  15". 

"J.  H.  Bell.''— Hull,  173'x36'x7';  engines,  2  of  22i^"x6'; 
boilers,  3  of  28'x40";  water  wheels,  29'xlO';  shaft,  16". 

"Huntsville  No.  2."— Hull,  255'x40'x9';  engines,  2  of 
23y2"x8';  boilers,  5  of  32'x42",  with  2  flues  of  16"  diameter 
in  each  boiler:  water  wheels,  38'xl2',  with  20  buckets  in  each 
wheel;  diameter  of  shaft,  17";  revolutions  of  water  wheels, 
17  per  minute. 

"Peter  Tellon."— Hull,  265'x35'x8'6 ;  engines,  2  of  27"x9'; 
boilers.  5  of  32'x42",  with  2-16"  flues  in  each  boiler;  water 
wheels,  40'xl2',  with  21  buckets  in  each  wheel;  diameter  of 
shaft,  17". 

"Antelope."— Hull,  264'x34'x8'  by  3  feet  draft;  engines, 
2  of  28"x9';  boilers,  5  of  34'x42",  with  2-16"  flues  in  each 
boiler;  water  wheels,  40'xl2',  with  21  buckets  in  each  wheel; 
diameter  of  shaft,  17";  revolutions  of  water  wheels,  16  per 
minute. 

"S.  F.  J.  Trabue."— Hull,  265'x35'x7';  engines,  2  of  32"x9'; 
boilers,  5  of  34'x42";  water  wheels,  39/xl31/2';  diameter  of 
shaft,  17". 

"Belle  Sheridan."— Hull,  275'x35'x7';  engines,  2  of 
P»4"x9';  boilers,  5  of  36'x42",  with  2-16"  flues  in  each  boiler; 
water  wheels,  38'xl4';  diameter  of  shaft,  18";  revolutions  of 
water  wrheels,  15  per  minute. 

"J.  H.  Lucas."— Hull,  230'x34'x6'6;  engines,  2  of  25"x7'; 
boilers,  4  of  28'x40";  water  wheels,  29'xll';  shaft,  14". 

"High  Flyer."— Hull,  250'x32'x6';  engines,  2  of  24i/2"x7'6; 
boilers,  4  of  28'x40";  water  wheels,  33'xlO';  shaft,  16". 

"T.  C.  Twichel."— Hull,  240'x36'x7';  engines,  2  of 
22i/2"x9';  boilers,  4  of  30'x40";  water  wheels,  32'xll'6. 


264  WESTERN    RIVERS. 

"Fanny  Bullitt."— Hull,  240'x32'x6y2';  engines,  2  of 
21"x8';  boilers,  4  of  28'x38",  14"  flues;  water  wheels,  32'xlO'. 

"Rainbow.-'— Hull,  230'x35'x6y2';  engines,  2  of  26"x8'; 
boilers,  5  of  26'x40",  with.  15"  flues;  water  wheels,  32'xl2'. 

The  steam  pressure  under  which  these  boats  run  was 
from  135  Ibs.  to  140  Ibs. 


CHAPTER  V. 

LONG  ISLAND   SOUND. 

PROVIDENCE    AND    STONINGTON    LINES. 

FTER  the  "Fulton"  and  "Connecticut"  were  with- 
drawn from  the  New  York,  New  Haven  and  New 
London  route,  in.  1822,  they  were  put  on  the  New 
York  and  Providence  route,  stopping  at  Newport. 
This  was  deemed  at  the  time  as  a  most  hazardous 
adventure,  but  Capt.  Elihu  S.  Bunker,  who  was  in  command 
of  the  "Connecticut,"  and  interested  in  the  line,  in  the  lang- 
uage of  a  large  steamboat  owner,  who  was  at  that  time  on 
one  of  the  steamboats  on  the  Sound,  says :  "Capt.  Bunker  was 
a  bold  man;  the  terrible  seas  in  doubling  Point  Judith  had 
no  terror  for  him ;  although  many  of  his  best  friends  advised 
him  not  to  risk  life  and  property  in  the  dangerous  experiment, 
the  line  nevertheless  was  started  and  proved  a  success." 
':  XTheseHboats  run  as  The  New  York  and  Rhode  Island 
Steamboat  Co.,  making  one  rouncl  trip  each  a  week  during 
the  season  until  November,  when  the  "Fulton"  was  withdrawn 
for  the  winter  and  the  "Connecticut"  continued  on  the  route 
with  one  trip  per  week  until  the  ice  closed  navigation.  Pas- 
senger fare  from  New  York  to  Providence,  $10;  time  between 
New  York  and  Newport  averaged  25  hours.  X  They  continued 
to  run  during  1823  from  the  opening  of  navigation,  as  they 
had  in  the  previous  season,  with  an  increase  of  business. 
During  the  year  the  owners  of  the  packets  had  two  bills  offered 
in  the  Rhode  Island  General  Assembly,  one  restricting  the 
landing  of  steamboat  passengers  on  the.  shores  of  the  State, 
and  another  imposing  a  tax  of  50  cents  on  each  passenger  by 
steamboat,  but  neither  bill  became  a  law.  This  was  the  fate 
of  all  new  steamboat  lines  during  this  early  period,  by  the 
placing  of  every  obstacle  in  their  way  to  a  free  competition 
by  the  owners  of  the  lines  of  packets.  During  1824,  these 
boats  run  as  in  the  previous  year,  with  the  exception  that 
during  a  portion  of  the  time  they  stopped  at  New  London 
each  way. 


2GC)  PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON   LINES. 

During  1825  a  new  boat  was  completed,  called  the 
"Washington."  She  was  131  feet  long,  with  a  pair  of  beam 
engines.  Each  engine  was  connected  by  gearing,  entirely  in- 
dependent of  the  other,  to  its  own  water-wheel  shaft,  so 
that  they  were  able  to  go  ahead  with  one  engine  and  back 
with  the  other  at  the  same  time,  if  it  was  desired.  This  was 
the  first  steam  vessel  with  a  pair  of  beam  engines  of  which 
there  is  any  record.  She  was  fitted  up  superior  to  the  other 
boats  of  the  line,  having  a  large  cabin  for  those  days,  and 
better  accommodations  for  passengers,  and  was  rigged  with  a 
mast  and  sails,  which  latter  she  would  use  when  occasion 
would  permit.  ^The  three  boats  run,  during  the  season  of  1825, 
from  Providence  and^ew  York,  four  days  in  the  week!^  Dur- 
ing 1827  the  "Washington"  had  extensive  improvements  made 
to  her,  so  that  when  she  resumed  her  place  on  the  line,  in 
1828,  she  had  a  cabin  on  deck  for  ladies,  and  sixty  or  more 
berths  in  the  lower  cabin. 

In  1828,  the  "Benjamin  Franklin"  was  built,  somewhat 
larger  than  the  "Washington,"  with  a  pair  of  the  same  kind 
of  engines.  This  vessel  was  built,  as  was  the  "Washington," 
under  the  supervision  of  Capt.  E.  S.  Bunker,  and  was  a  further 
improvement  over  the  others,  and  was  fitted  with  masts  and 
sails. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1829,  another  new  boat  was  completed 
for  the  line,  and  named  the  "President."  She  had  also  the 
same  style  of  engines  as  the  "Washington,"  but  was  larger 
than  her  predecessors  on  the  line,  being  205  feet  long,  and  of 
much  better  speed,  and  was  also  fitted  with  a  ladies'  cabin 
and  137  berths  for  passengers.  All  three  of  these  boats  were 
built  very  heavy,  sufficiently  so  for  sea  navigation.  They 
also  had  heavy  copper  boilers.  The  "Benjamin  Franklin"  is 
credited  with  having  made  a  trip  from  New  York  to  Provi- 
dence, dock  to  dock,  in  15  hours  and  23  minutes.  The  "Presi- 
dent" commonly  made  the  run  in  16  hours. 
%S  In  1827,  the  "Chancellor  Livingston"  Avas  taken  off  the 
Albany  route,  her  hull  rebuilt  and  a  new  engine  of  56-inch 
cylinder  by  6  feet  stroke,  of  the  "square  engine"  type,  put  in 
by  James  P.  Allaire,  to  fit  her  for  navigation  of  Long  Island 
Sound;  and  in  the  spring  of  1828  was  placed  on  the  New  York 
and  Providence  route  as  an  opposition  boat.  This  was  one 


PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON   LINES.  267 

of  the  North  River  line  boats;  the  company  having  gone  out 
of  business,  the  floating  property  was  disposed  of.  The  fare, 
which  had  previously  been  $  10,  was  now  reduced  to  $6.00,  and 
a  lively  competition  existed  during  the  yeaf>C  The  old  line 
run  the  "Fulton,"  " Washington,*'  and  the  "Connecticut."  Dur- 
ing 1829,  the  "Washington,"  "Fulton,"  "Benjamin  Franklin," 
and  the  "Chancellor  Livingston,"  formed  the  line,  the  "Con- 
necticut" having  been  sold  to  parties  in  Maine. 

In  May,  1831,  the  "Washington,"  while  on  a  trip  from 
New  York,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Milford,-Ct.,  was  run  down 
by  the  "Chancellor  Livingston"  and  sunk,  proving  a  total  loss. 
There  were  52  passengers  on  the  "Washington"  at  the  time, 
but  they  were  all  transferred  to  the  "Chancellor  Livingston" 
with  safety.  The  cause  of  the  collision  was  the  want  of  an 
experienced  man  as  pilot  on  the  latter  vessel  at  the  time,  the 
regular  pilot  having  remained  ashore  during  that  trip.  The 
"President"  and  the  "Benjamin  Franklin"  run  as  the  "New 
York  and  Boston  Steamboat  Company"  during  this  year, 
while  the  "Chancellor  Livingston"  wras  the  opposition  boat, 
with  fare  at  $4.00. 

{  During  the  summer  of  1831,  the  Rhode  Island  and  New 
York  Steamboat  Company  put  on  the  route  a  new  boat  that 
had  just  been  completed  for  them,  named  the  "Boston,'^  which 
was  built  under  the  supervision  of  Capt.  Coinstocl^  This 
boat  had  two  beam  engines,  and  was  the  firsj^sfeamboat  on 
the  sound  routes  without  mast  and  sails.  <O§he  run  during  this 
year  in  connection  with  the  "New  York  and  Boston  Steamboat 
Company's"  line,  with  the  "Chancellor  Livingston"  still  in 
opposition,  with  the  fare  reduced  to  $3.00.  ^ 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  directors  of  the  Chancellor 
.Livingston  Steam  Packet  Company,  in  1829,  a  resolution  was 
adopted  prohibiting  the  steward  from  placing  decanters  of 
brandy  and  spirits  on  the  tables.  This  action  created  con- 
siderable stir.  The  meals  on  board  the  "Chancellor  Liv- 
ingston" had  always  been  superb,  and  at  these  meals  the 
contents  of  the  decanters  had  played  no  unimportant  part;  to 
banish  them  would  invite  a  strike  from  their  patrons.  The 
indignation  was  so  strong  that  a  letter  from  one  of  the 
directors  soon  found  its  way  into  print.  The  letter  said  that 
the  directors  "were  not  influenced  by  petty  motives  of  economy 


268  PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON   LINES. 

or  gain,  but  hoped  to  do  a  little  to  aid  the  cause  of  reform." 
The  letter  concluded  as  follows: 

"The  tables  are  now  supplied  writh  red  wines  of  good 
quality  and  pleasant  flavor,  as  well  as  of  good  tendency  in  its 
effects  upon  those  who  may  b*e  affected  by  the  motion  of  the 
boat.  In  addition  to  all  this,  whenever  any  person  may  choose 
to  order  brandy  or  spirits,  from  a  belief  of  their  necessity,  it 
will  be  immediately  and  cheerfully  supplied  from  the  bar,  and 
the  gentleman  will  hear  no  more  about  it  unless  he  pleases/' 
This  was  an  early  "reform  movement. 

The  season  of  1832  opened  with  uncommonly  brilliant 
prospects.  New  stage  lines  were  opened,  and  all  of  the  boats 
did  a  thriving  business  until  midsummer,  when  the  approach 
of  the  cholera  made  quarantine  regulations  necessary,  and 
travel  between  New  York  and  Providence  was  almost  sus- 
pended. The  steamboats  were  withdrawn.  Some  of  them 
lay  idle  during  July  and  August,  while  others  ran  excursion 
trips  from  othep  cities.  The  "Boston"  made  a  number  of 
trips  in  Boston  harbor.  From  the  latter  part  of  June  until 
about  the  first  of  September  an  effort  was  made  to  prevent 
persons  entering  Providence  within  ten  days  of  their  being  in 
New  York.  Early  in  September  the  "Boston"  again  com- 
menced her  regular  trips  between  Providence  and  New  York. 
A  few  days  later  the  "President"  and  the  "Franklin"  were  on 
the  route  again,  running  under  the  style  of  the  New  York 
and  Boston  Steamboat  Company.  The  fare  by  each  line  was 
17.00. 

In  the  fall  of  1832,  the  Providence  Steamboat  Company 
put  in  service  their  new  boat,  built  during  the  year  by  Bell  & 
Brown,  of  New  York,  and  named  "Providence."  She  was  of 
about  400  tons,  and  had  a  single  beam  engine  60  inches  by  10 
feet,  built  by  West  Point  Foundry,  at  New  York. 

The  boats  maintained  the  even  tenor  of  their  way  during 
1833  and  '34.  The  "President"  and  the  "Benjamin  Franklin" 
formed  one  line,  wrhile  the  "Boston"  and  the  "Providence"  the 
other  line.  The  "Connecticut"  left  for  service  elsewhere  in 
1829,  and  the  "Chancellor  Livingston"  in  1833  for  the  coast 
of  Maine. 

In  1835  Cornelius  Vanderbilt  had  built  by  Bishop  & 
Simonson,  of  New  York,  a  boat  for  this  route,  named  the 


o 

s  s 

si 


270  PHOVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON  LINES. 

"Lexington."  This  may  be  termed  Vanderbilt's  first  venture 
in  Long  Island  Sound  navigation,  though  he  had  the  "Mmrod" 
for  a  short  time  before  this  running  to  Bridgeport,  Ct.  Her 
first  trip  from  New  York  was  made  on  June  1st,  of  that  year, 
to  Providence  in  12  hours  28  minutes.  She  ran  as  a  day 
boat  for  four  months  of  that  year,  leaving  New  York  Tuesdays, 
Thursdays  and  Saturdays,  at  6  a.  in.,  and  having  a  special 
train  from  Providence  to  Boston  for  her  passengers.  The 
Boston  and  Providence  railroad  was  opened  for  travel  during 
the  same  month  as  the  "Lexington"  commenced  running. 
The  road  at  that  time  came  down  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Seekonk  or  Pawtucket  Kiver,  through  Kumford  to  East  Prov- 
idence, where  it  crossed  the  India  Point  bridge,  built  by  the 
company,  to  India  Point,  where  was  located  the  depot  adjacent 
to  the  wharf  of  the  New  York  steamboats.  ^Fare  was  four 
dollars,  and  meals  extra.X  The  other  lines  promptly  reduced 
their  rate^to  five  dollars  and  found,  and  then  began  a  lively 
competition  that  lasted  as  long  as  the  "Lexington"  remained 
that  season.  To  draw  travel  to  the  "Lexington,"  Yanderbilt 
offered  the  inducement  of  a  trip  from  New  York  to  Providence 
or  Newport  and  return  for  the  regular  fare  of  one  -way.  This 
is  the  first  occasion  found  of  excursion  fare  by  steamboats. 
The  old  lines  continued  the  night  service  from  New  York,  bui 
left  Providence  at  noon, just  after  the  arrival  of  the  train 
from  Boston.  \tl^& 

*  !JJAt  this  time  the  most  popular  route  between  New  York 
and  Boston  was  via  Providence.  The  steamboats  leaving 
every  day  of  the  week  carried  full  passenger  lists,  and  four 
stage  lines  transported  the  passengers  between  Boston  and 
Providence.-^  So  influential  were  these  lines  that  they  did 
not  anticipate  any  very  serious  opposition  from  the  railroad 
when  opened  on  June  15th,  1835.  "Let  the  train  run  off 
the  track  when  going  thirty  miles  an  hour  and  kill 
two  or  three  hundred  people  a  few  times,  and  people  would 
be  ready  to  stick  to  the  stages."  They  considered  "steam 
cars  an  invention  for  checking  the  too  rapid  growth  of  the 
population,  by  slaughtering  three  or  four  thousand  persons 
per  annum."  There  was  a  lively  competition  between  the 
stage  lines  as  well  as  the  steamboats,  and  it  is  said  that 
one  company  having  offered  to  carry  passengers  for  nothing, 


PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON   LINES.  271 

the  opposition  offered  equal  inducements,  and  gave  them 
their  dinners,  whereupon  the  first  line  offered  free  passage, 
dinner  and  a  bottle  of  wine.  The  oldest  inhabitant  says  the 
latter  was  at  once  accepted,  as  the  more  agreeable  to  the 
traveller. 

Just  before  the  opening  of  the  railroad  the  captain  of 
the  "Benjamin  Franklin''  was  sued  for  refusing  to  receive  on 
board  his  vessel  the  agent  of  the  Tremont  Stage  line  that 
run  between  Boston  and  Providence  in  opposition  to  the 
Citizens'  Stage  line,  that  was  run  in  the  interests  of  the 
steamboat  company.  The  agent  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
going  from  Newport  to  Providence  on  board  the  steamboats 
soliciting  passengers  for  his  stage  line,  and  for  this  refusal 
he  brought  an  action  against  the  captain  of  the  vessel.  The 
court  decided  that  the  latter  could  discriminate  whom  to 
permit  on  board  the  vessel,  and  the  jury  brought  in  a  verdict 
for  the  captain. 

In  the  month  of  January,  1836,  the  "Bunker  Hill,"  which 
belonged  to  Sanford's  Hartford  line,  came  to  Providence  as 
an  opposition  boat  for  a  time,  with  the  fare  at  $8.00. 

In  April  of  the  same  year,  the  "Massachusetts,"  built 
by  Bell  &  Brown,  of  New  York,  was  running  to  Providence. 
She  was  much  larger  than  her  predecessors,  and  was  fitted 
with  a  pair  of  beam  engines,  and  had  copper  boilers,  con- 
structed at  the  Allaire  Works,  New  York.  Her  cabin  is 
thus  described:  "The  principal  cabin  in  the  "Massachusetts," 
a  vessel  running  on  the  line  between  New  York  and  Provi- 
dence, is  160  feet  in  length,  about  22  feet  in  maximum  breadth, 
and  1.2  feet  in  height;  and  what  adds  greatly  to  its  conveni- 
ence and  capacity,  it  is  entirely  unbroken  by  pillars  or  any 
other  obstruction  throughout  its  whole  area.  I  have  dined 
with  175  persons  in  this  cabin,  and,  notwithstanding  its 
numerous  assembly,  the  tables,  which  were  arranged  in  two 
parallel  rows,  extending  from  one  end  of  the  cabin  to  the  other, 
were  far  from  being  fully  occupied.  The  attendance  was 
good,  and  everything  was  conducted  with  perfect  regularity 
and  order.  There  are  112  fixed  berths  ranged  around  this  cabin, 
and  about  100  temporary  berths  can  be  erected  in  the  middle  of 
the  floor.  Besides  these,  there  are  60  fixed  berths  in  the  ladies' 
cabin,  and  several  temfjorary  sleeping  places  can  be  erected 


272  PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON   LINES. 

in  it  also.  The  cabin  of  the  'Massachusetts'  is  by  no  means 
the  largest  in  the  United  States.  Some  steamers  have  cabins 
upwards  of  175  feet  in  length.  These  large  saloons  are  lighted 
by  argand  lamps,  suspended  from  the  ceiling,  and  their  ap- 
pearance, when  lighted  up  and  filled  with  company,  is  very 
remarkable.  The  passengers  generally  arrange  themselves 
in  parties  at  the  numerous  small  tables  (into  which  the  large 
tables  are  converted  after  dinner)  and  engage  in  different 
amusements."  Her  owners  shortly  after  bought  an  interest 
in  the  "Boston,"  and  made  an  arrangement  with  the  Provi- 
dence Steamboat  Company,  so -that  the  "Massachusetts,"  the 
"Boston,"  and  the  "Providence"  were  advertised  as  the  Boston 
and  Providence  Railroad  line.  This  was  the  first  step  in 
the  formation  of  the  noted  Transportation  Company  that 
subsequently  held  such  pOAver  in  the  water  transportation  on 
Long  Island  Sound.  It  was  at  first  an  association  or  partner- 
ship known  as  the  Boston  and  New  York  Transportation 
Company,  but  afterwards  became  a  corporation  known  as  the 
"New  Jersey  Steam  Navigation  Company." 

The  "Lexington"  was  back  in  April,  1836,  and  running  op- 
position with  the  fare  at  $3,  while  the  railroad  line  was  holding 
at  1 5  and  found,  but  returned  to  the  Hartford  route  in  July  for 
the  remainder  of  the  season.  People  were  afraid  to  travel  by 
her  even  then,  but  she  was  so  fast  and  the  fare  such  an  induce- 
ment that  she  was  well  patronized.  The  Transportation  Com 
pany  had,  prior  to  1836,  taken  in  the  "President"  and  the  "Ben- 
jamin Franklin,"  and  during  the  latter  year  had  added  the 
"Rhode  Island"  that  had  been  built  for  them  by  Bell  &  Brown, 
of  New  York,  with  a  "square''  engine  constructed  by  James  P. 
Allaire.^xHer  first  trip  was  made  in  12  hours  and  24  minutes. 
Travel  Began  to  increase,  and  200  or  300  passengers  a  trip  be- 
gan to  be  the  rule  rather  than  the  exception.)^ 

But  the  Transportation  Company  were  not  satisfied,  for 
Vanderbilt  was  keeping  them  on  the  move  most  all  the  time, 
even  with  all  their  strong  financial  backing  and  business  abil- 
ity in  the  company.  The  "Lexington"  was  a  thorn  in  their  side, 
for  she  was  a  much  faster  boat  than  any  thing  they  had  afloat, 
so  they  now  determined  to  have  one,  if  possible,  that  could  not 
be  beaten.  They  contracted  with  William  Brown,  of  New 
York,  who  was  one  of  the  best-known  shipbuilders  at  that 


274  PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON   LINES. 

period  for  river  and  Sound  steamers,  who  built  for  them,  in 
1836,  the  "Narragansett,"  that  was  pronounced  to  be  of  a 
model  of  a  very  advanced  type,  of  about  the  same  general 
dimensions  as  the  "Khode  Island,"  was  sponson-sided  fore  and 
aft  of  the  water  wheels,  and  drew  about  five  feet  of  water  with 
an  average  load,  as  most  of  these  boats  did  at  the  time.  Her 
hull  was  strapped  diagonally  with  bar-iron,  as  was 
the  practice  in  later  years  with  wooden  hulls,  and 
this  is  believed  to  have  been  the  first  instance  where  such 
means  were  used  to  stiffen  the  hull  of  a  vessel.  Her  motive 
power  was  a  horizontal  engine  on  the  main  deck,  built  at  the 
Novelty  Iron  Works.  But  with  all  her  fine  model  she  was  an 
exceedingly  crank  vessel,  as  her  lines  would  denote,  and  would 
roll  dowrn  on  her.  beam  ends  under  a  small  provocation.  The 
proportion  of  beam  to  length  was  1  to  8.  The  vessel  is  spoken 
of  at  the  time :  "The  finest  of  these  sea  boats,  and,  indeed,  the 
finest  steamer  which  I  saw  was  the  "Narragansett,"  plying  be- 
tween New  York  and  Providence.  It  could  hardly  be  credited 
that  this  vessel  plies  regularly  between  New  York  and  Provi- 
dence. It  will  be  seen  by  inspecting  the  map  that  during  fifty 
miles  of  the  voyage,  extending  between  New  London  and  New- 
port, she  is  quite  exposed  to  the  roll  of  the  Atlantic  ocean,  and, 
notwithstanding  this,  she  makes  her  passages  with  great  speed 
and  regularity."  She  was  often  laid  up  for  repairs,  as  her  en- 
gine was  found  after  a  short  time  in  service  to  be  too  powerful 
for  the  hull,  and  could  not  stand  the  heavy  strain  when  she 
was  driven.  If  they  thought  they  were  going  to  drive  off  the 
opposition  with  the  "Narragansett,"  they  were  mistaken  in 
their  rival,  for  the  addition  of  a  new  boat  to  the  fleet  made  it 
so  much  more  interesting  for  all  concerned.  /Either  the  "Lex- 
ington," or  the  "Cleopatra,"  both  belonging  to  Cornelius  Van- 
derbilt,  wras  on  hand  with  the  fare  at  $1.00  at  times,  and  by 
chartering  a  special  train  he  several  times  succeeded  in  get- 
ting his  passengers  into  Boston  ahead  of  those  by  the  other 

HneA 

The  Boston  and  Providence  R.  R.  Co.,  in  1837,  was  called 
to  account  by  the  Rhode  Island  legislature,  and  a  measure 
passed,  bringing  to  their  notice  of  their  having  departed  from 
the  spirit  of  their  charter  in  refusing  the  free  access  of  all 
steamboats  to  their  wharfs  for  the  receiving  and  discharging 


276  PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON   LINES. 

of  all  through  passengers  and  freight.  They  had  for  some  time 
prior  to  this  action  been  interested  in  some  of  the  old-line 
boats,  and  they  did  not  desire  to  see  the  business  they  had  de- 
veloped fall  into  other  hands,  so  they  took  this  means  of  break- 
ing up  opposition,  but  it  proved  ineffectual. 

When  the  "Lexington"  left  the  Providence  route,  in  1836, 
the  vessel  was  run  on  the  New  York  &  Hartford  line,  where 
Vanderbilt  was  having  a  glorious  old  time  in  his  contest  with 
Sanford,  but  was  back  again  in  March,  1837,  to  keep  things 
lively  on  Narragansett  Bay.  The  vessel  had,  in  the  meantime, 
been  fitted  with  berths  for  night  service.  Then,  in  1838,  the 
vessel  was  for  a  portion  of  each  year  either  on  the  Providence 
or  the  Stonington  route,  the  Providence  &  Stonington  Railroad 
having  been  opened  for  passenger  service  on  November  10th, 
1837.  The  road  then  entered  the  city  of  Providence  to  the 
southeast,  and  striking  the  shore  of  the  harbor  to  the  north- 
west of  Sassafras  Point  and  ended  on  the  shore  about  opposite 
Fox  Point.  The  connection  with  the  Boston  &  Providence 
Railroad  wTas  by  means  of  a  ferryboat  built  in  1834,  named 
"Stonington,"  115  feet  long  and  owned  by  Jesse  L.  Moss,  that 
run  to  India  Point  depot  just  across  the  river.  The  railroad 
companies  subsequently  owned  the  ferry.  The  opening  of  this 
railroad  made  a  change  necessary  in  the  running  of  the  Trans- 
portation Company's  boats.  The  "Rhode  Island"  and  the 
"Narragansett"  were  now  placed  on  the  Stonington  route,  and 
the  "Massachusetts"  was  continued  on  the  Providence  line.  A 
little  later,  Cornelius  Vanderbilt  and  the  Transportation  Com- 
pany each  had  a  vessel  on  the  Stonington  line  in  connection 
with  the  railroad,  by  agreement  with  the  Providence  &  Ston- 
ington R.  R.  Co. 

In  the  same  year  the  Atlantic  Steamboat  Company  was 
formed  of  J.  W.  Richmond  and  others,  the  former  having  been 
at  one  time  interested  in  the  old  line,  and  in  June,  1838,  had 
completed  for  them  by  J.  S.  Eddy,  of  Providence,  the  "John  W. 
Richmond,'"  of  about  500  tons,  with  a  "square"  engine  of  48 
inches  by  11  feet,  built  by  the  Providence  Steam  Engine  Com- 
pany.^The  Railroad  line  immediately  reduced  their  fare  be- 
tween New  York  and  Providence  direct  to  f  2.00,  and  by  steam- 
boat and  Stonington  railroad  to  |3.00.  The  Stonington  line 
boats  at  this  time  left  New  York  at  6  P,  M.?  from  Pier  4?  N.  R., 


PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON  LINES.  277 

and  arrived  at  Stonington  usually  about  4  A.  M.,  and  passen- 
gers at  Boston  at  9  A.  MYWhen  the  "John  W.  Richmond"  was 
finished,  but  before  being  placed  in  commission,  the  officers  of 
the  Railroad  line  concluded  that  she  was  a  more  able  boat  than 
any  of  their  fleet,  so  to  be  prepared  to  make  a  good  stiff  fight, 
the  "Narragansett"  was  made  ready  for  service  on  the  Provi- 
dence route.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the  relations  between 
the  Transportation  Company  and  Vanderbilt  at  this  time  were 
very  pleasant,  as  they  each  had  a  steamboat  running  on  the 
regular  Stonington  line.  On  the  first  return  trip  east  the  "Nar- 
ragansett" made  the  best  time,  but  this  state  of  affairs  did 
not  last  long,  as  the  "John  W.  Richmond,"  after  wearing  off 
the  stiffness  of  her  engine,  began  to  improve  in  speed,  and  the 
"Narragansett"  could  not  pass  her.  This  condition  of  affairs 
could  not  be  endured  forever,  so  as  a  last  resort  the  Railroad 
line  offered  Cornelius  Vanderbilt  |60,000  for  the  "Lexington," 
provided  she  could  beat  the  "John  W.  Richmond."  This  propo- 
sition was  accepted,  and  the  "Lexington"  was  placed  in  the 
regular  line.  She  was  commanded  by  Capt.  Jacob  Vanderbilt, 
whose  reputation  for  daring  deeds  with  a  steamboat  has  been 
equalled  by  few. 

There  was  some  excitement  in  traveling  on  the  Sound  in 
those  days.  Races  were  the  rule,  and  they  were  not  alw  ays  un- 
at  tended  with  danger.  Once,  in  particular,  there  was  a  trial 
of  some  moment  in  point  of  speed  between  the  "Lexington" 
and  the  "J.  W.  Richmond."  The  latter  boat  had  laid  in  New- 
port over  night  and  in  the  morning  she  started  out  and  ran  to 
Stonington.  The  train  from  Boston  was  about  due  and  the 
"Lexington,"  which  should  have  met  the  train,  had  not  arrived. 
The  "John  W.  Richmond,"  accordingly,  ran  in  and  offered  to 
take  the  passengers  to  New  York,  which  offer  was  accepted. 
But  while  the  latter  boat  waited  for  the  train  the  "Lexington" 
arrived.  Presently  the  train  arrived  also  and  part  of  the 
passengers  went  by  one  boat  and  the  remainder  by  the  other. 
The  two  boats  started  at  about  the  same  time,  with  the  advan- 
tage in  favor  ot  the  "Richmond."  For  ten  miles  or  more  down 
the  Sound  there  was  no  perceptible  change  in  the  position  of 
the  boats  to  each  other.  But  shortly  after  dense  clouds  of 
smoke  were  noticed  coming  from  the  smoke-pipe  of  the  "Lex 
ington,"  and  she  was  seen  to  be  gaining  upon  the  "Richmond." 


278  PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON   LINES. 

But  this  had  not  escaped  the  eye  of  the  captain  of  the  "Rich- 
mond." Upon  leaving  ^tjmiington  they  had  picked  out  the 
most  resinous  wood  and  placed  it  close  at  hand  for  use  when 
wanted,  and  that  rime  had  now  come,  for  the  orders  were, 
"put  in  the  fat  wood  and  let  her  go."  And  go  she  did,  for  the 
roar  of  the  fires  could  be  heard  all  over  the  boat,  and  at  each 
revolution  of  her  wheels  she  trembled  from  stem  to  stern.  She 
slowly  and  steadily  opened  the  gap  between  the  "Lexington" 
and  herself  all  the  way  to  New  York,  arriving  there  half  an 
hour  ahead  of  the  "Lexington."  The  latter  was,  no  doubt,  the 
faster  of  the  two  boats,  but  there  was  no  denying  the  fact 
of  the  "Richmond"  having  beaten  her  for  onceMThe  "Lexing- 
ton" was  now  running  in  the  interest  of  the  Transportation 
Company,  with  the  "Richmond"  as  the  opposition  boat.  Fare 
by  the  "Richmond"  was  $3.00,  while  by  the  regular  line  it  was 
lowered  to  $1.00.  The  Transportation  Company  purchased  the 
"Lexington,"  in  December,  1838,fend  paid  about  $72,000  in  all 
for  the  vessel.  This  was  just  prior  to  the  organizing  of  the 
New  Jersey  Steam  Navigation  Company.  The  Old  line  used 
all  means  to  break  the  opposition  line.  If  the  "Richmond"  was 
delayed  so  her  passengers  could  not  take  the  morning  train  to 
Boston,  they  would  not  allow  the  Boston  &  Providence  Rail- 
road Company,  under  an  old  contract,  to  send  them  through 
by  a  special  train,  and  several  times  her  passengers  were  com- 
pelled to  wait  nine  hours  in  Providence  for  a  train  to  Boston. 
In  spite  of  these  disadvantages,  the  "Richmond"  had  done  a 
good  business,  until  a  sufficient  amount  of  her  stock  was  ob- 
tained by  the  Transportation  Company  to  get  a  strong  repre- 
sentation in  the  company  when  that  ended  her  opposition. 
The  Atlantic  Steamboat  Company  had  given  the  Old  line  all 
the  opposition  and  fight  in  business  they  cared  for,  and,  coming 
from  former  associates,  made  it  all  the  more  bitter.  She  was 
sold  in  1840  for  service  on  the  Boston  &  Maine  route,  where 
she  run  until  1843,  when  she  was  burned.  In  the  fall  of  1839, 
the  "Mohegan,"  a  smaller  boat  than  any  of  the  others  on  the 
route,  was  put  on  by  the  Transportation  Company's  line.  She 
was  fitted  with  one  of  LighthalPs  Horizontal  beam  engines, 
was  a  very  light-built  boat,  and  in  heavy  weather  it  was  hard 
work  to  keep  her  up  to  the  wind. 

In  the  following  winter,  on  January  13th,  1840,  occurred 


P110V1DEXCK   AND  STONINGTON   LINES.  279 

the  burning  of  the  "Lexington"  while  on  her  trip  from  New 
York  to  Stonington,  when  oft'  Eaton's  Neck,  Long  Island.  The 
night  was  very  cold,  the  temperature  being  below  zero,  and 
the  ice  was  making  very  rapidly  in  the  Bound.  They  had  just 
begun  to  make  use  of  coal  for  fuel  in  her  boiler,  and  there 
had  been  trouble  with  her  blowers  on  her  last  trip  from  Ston- 
ington, making  it  necessary  to  lay  up  for  repairs.  The  accumu- 
lation of  ice,  and  she  being  one  of  the  strongest  boats  of  the 
line,  it  was  thought  best  to  place  her  on  the  route  instead  of 
one  of  the  regular  boats.  She  left  New  York  at  4  P.  M.,  with  at 
least  150  persons  on  board  and  a  large  quantity  of  freight,  of 
which  there  was  about  150  bales  of  cotton.  About  half-past 
seven  o'clock  and  when  off  Eaton's  Neck,  on  the  Long  Island 
shore,  and  some  four  miles  from  land,  there  was  an  alarm 
of  fire,  but  where  it  first  started,  none  of  those  who  were  saved 
— of  which  there  were  but  four — had  any  knowledge.*  Stephen 
Manchester,  who  was  the  pilot  and  one  of  the  survivors,  relates 
his  experience,  in  part,  as  given  in  a  United  States  Senate  docu- 
ment of  the  Twenty-sixth  Congress:  "I  was  in  the  wheel- 
house,  at  the  wheel,  when  the  alarm  was  first  given;  it  was 
about  half -past  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening.  I  was  first  noti- 
fied of  the  danger  by  some  one  who  came  to  the  wheel-house 
door  and  told  me  that  the  boat  was  on  fire — do  not  know  who 
that  person  was.  My  first  movement  was  to  step  out  of  the 
wheel-house  and  look  aft.  I  saw  the  upper  deck  on  fire  all 
around  the  smoke-pipe  and  blazing  up  two  or  three  feet,  per- 
haps, above  the  promenade  deck.  The  flame  seemed  to  be  a 
thin  sheet,  and,  apparently,  but  just  commenced:  the  blaze 
seemed  to  follow  up  the  smoke-pipe  and  was  all  around  it.  I 
again  went  into  the  wheel-house,  caught  hold  of  the  wheel, 
hove  it  hard  aport  and  steered  the  boat  head  to  land.  I 
thought  from  my  first  view  of  the  fire  that  it  was  a  doubtful 
case  whether  it  could  be  extinguished.  We  were,  when  the 
fire  broke  out,  about  fifty  miles  from  New  York,  off  Eaton's 
Neck,  and  some  four  miles  from  the  Long  Island  shore.  As  I 

*  A  marine  engineer  of  prominence,  who  was  in  service  at  this 
date,  stated  to  the  author  several  years  ago,  that  probably  the  want  of 
experience  in  the  use  of  the  blower  may  have  had  something  to  do 
with  the  primary  cause  of  the  fire.  Also,  that  a  can  of  varnish  in  the 
freight  was  placed  too  close  to  the  smoke  chimney. 


280  PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON  LINES. 

got  the  wheel  hove  over  hard  aport,  Captain  Childs  came  into 
the  wheel-house,  he  put  his  hand  on  a  spoke  of  the  wheel  and 
at  that  moment  the  rope  gave  way.  At  this  moment  the  smoke 
came  into  the  wheel-house  so  violently  that  we  were  obliged  to 
leave  it,  I  don't  recollect  having  seen  Captain  Childs  after- 
wards. I  called  to  those  on  the  forecastle  to  get  out  the  fire 
engine  and  buckets.  The  engine  they  succeeded  in  getting  out, 
but  I  did  not  see  any  of  the  buckets,  except  two  or  three  which 
we  found  afterward  on  the  forecastle.  I  believe  that  the  ropes 
were  not  parted  by  the  strain,  but  were  burned  off."  After 
he  gave  his  experience  in  helping  to  launch  a  lifeboat,  and  the 
attempts  to  stay  the  progress  of  the  flames,  and  the  making 
of  a  raft  from  a  spar  and  flagstaff  with  a  portion  of  the  bul- 
warks; also  throwing  overboard  four  baggage  cars  after  be- 
ing-emptied of  their  contents,  with  a  line  attached.  "Among 
those  who  remained  to  the  last  was  a  Mr.  Van  Cott,  Mr.  Hoyt, 
and  Mr.  Harnden,  of  the  express :  they  were  all  confined  to  the 
forward  deck.  At  12  o'clock,  I  left  the  wreck  and  eased  myself 
down  upon  the  stage  or  raft;  from  that  I  got  on  a  bale  of 
cotton,  on  which  there 'was  already  one  man.  After  floating 
around  on  the  bale  until  daylight,  about  which  time  my  com- 
panion fell  from  the  bale  and  went  down  without  a  struggle; 
his  sufferings  from  the  cold  were  intense.  The  wreck,  I  think, 
sunk  about  3  o'clock.  A  short  time  after  sunrise,  I  recollect 
seeing  a  sloop  to  the  windward.  I  managed  to  put  a  handker- 
chief upon  a  piece  of  board  and  raised  it  up.  I  was  picked  up 
by  the  sloop  "Merchant,"  Captain  Meeker.  I  was  taken  to  the 
house  of  Captain  Godfrey,  at  Southport.  In  my  opinion,  the 
fire  originated  from  the  heat  of  the  smoke-pipe,  which  was 
communicated  to  the  woodwork.  I  have  frequently  seen  the 
smoke-pipe  red  hot,  and  saw  it  so  on  the  last  night.  I  do  not 
know  whether  the  red  heat  extended  to  the  flange  or  not.  The 
cotton  was  piled  within  perhaps  a  foot  of  the  steam  chimney." 
Capt.  Chester  Hilliard,  who  was  one  of  the  survivors,  says. 
regarding  the  launching  of  the  boats:  "I  left  the  main  deck 
and  went  on  the  promenade  deck.  Soon  after  I  got  up  I 
thought  the  people  on  board  seemed  to  be  stupidly  determined 
to  destroy  themselves,  and  the  boats  also,  their  only  means  of 
safety.  I  repaired  to  the  starboard  boat,  which  they  were 
lowering  away.  They  got  the  boat  partly  over  until  she  took 


PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON  LINES.  281 

the  water,  and  then  some  one  cut  the  forward  tackle,  when 
she  filled  and  went  astern.  I  think  about  twenty  persons  were 
in  her  then.  The  other  boat  was  lowered  and  went  down  in 
pretty  much  the  same  way,  being  full  of  passengers.  At  that 
time  the  fire  got  going  so  that  I  made  up  my  mind  'it  was  a 
case.' '•'  He  also  relates  taking  to  the  bale  of  cotton  and  hav- 
ing for  a  companion  one  of  the  firemen  named  Cox,  who  suc- 
cumbed to  his  exposure  before  daylight.  "When  I  saw  the 
sloop,  I  waved  my  hat  to  excite  their  attention,  and  they  bore 
down  and  picked  me  up.  She  was  the  'Merchant',  from  South- 
port,  Captain  Meeker.  I  know  of  no  other  persons  who  have 
done  so  except  the  steamer  "Statesman."  Captain  Meeker  had 
to  take  out  part  of  his  cargo  in  order  to  get  the  sloop  over  the 
bar.  It  was  about-  11  A.  M.,  when  I  was  picked  up.  They 
picked  up  two  men  alive  and  two  dead  bodies.  One  was  Man- 
chester, the  pilot,  the  other  was  Charles  Smith;  he  was  on  the 
wheel-house.  The  pilot  was  pretty  much  gone,  and  I  thought 
the  other  seemed  better.  Smith  was  a  fireman  on  the  'Lex- 
ington.' "  The  second  mate,  David  Crowley,  took  refuge  on  a 
bale  of  cotton  also,  and  floated  about  until  he  struck  the  ice 
on  Wednesday  morning,  about  eighteen  miles  east  of  Old  Field 
Point,  and  walked  to  a  house  of  Mrs.  Mary  Hutchinson,  who 
gave  him  good  care  after  his  exposure.  The  number  of  passen- 
gers and  the  crew  is  believed  not  to  have  exceeded  one  hundred 
and  fifty.  Fireman,  Charles  Smith,  was  living  at  Providence, 
R.  I.,  a  few  months  ago. 

From  the  testimony  given  before  the  court  of  inquiry 
it  was  found  that  the  fire  was  communicated  to  the  promenade 
deck  by  the  intense  heat  of  the  smoke-pipe  and  steam  chim- 
ney. That  the  "Lexington"  was  a  first-rate  boat,  with  an  ex- 
cellent steam  engine,  and  a  boiler  suitable  for  burning  wood, 
but  not  coal  with  blowers  attached,  and  that  the  carrying  of 
cotton  in  any  quantity  on  passenger  boats  should  be  con- 
demned. David  Crowley,  the  mate,  died  at  Providence,  R.  I., 
two  years  ago. 

The  "Lexington"  was  built  in  1835,  by  Bishop  &  Simonson. 
for  Cornelius  Yanderbilt,  but  he  had  sold  her  some  months 
previous  to  her  destruction.  The  hull  was  207'x21'xll',  with 
paddle  wheels  23  feet  diameter  by  9  feet  face;  was  fitted  with 
a  beam  engine  built  by  the  West  Point  Foundry,  having  a 


282  PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON  LINES. 

cylinder  48  inches  diameter  and  11  feet  stroke.  Charles  W. 
Copeland  was  Superintending  Engineer  of  the  West  Point 
Foundry  at  the  time.  The  hull  of  the  vessel  was  heavily  built, 
frames  close  together  and  of  large  size  for  that  class  of  vessel, 
and  fitted  with  a  "Towne"  latticed  truss  on  either  side  to 
strengthen  the  hull  proper.  This  was  the  first  time  the  truss 
was  made  use  of  for  a  similar  purpose.  She  had  a  wide,  square 
stern,  and  with  a  very  high  and  short  hog  frame  that,  taken  all 
in  all,  would  not  be  called  a  handsome  steamboat  to-day.  For 
the  artificial  draft  to  the  furnaces  of  the  boiler  there  were 
two  fan  blowers,  each  30"  diameter  by  26"  face,  that  were 
run  by  belts  from  a  drum  on  the  shaft  of  the  main  engine. 
There  was  the  usual  frame  casing  around  the  steam  chimney. 

The  NewT  Jersey  Steam  Navigation  Company,  the  suc- 
cessor of  the  Transportation  Company,  was  chartered  by  the 
State  of  New  Jersey,  in  February,  1839,  with  a  capital  of  f  500,- 
000,  most  of  the  stock  being  held  in  New  York  City.  The 
board  of  directors,  in  1840,  were  M.  O.  Handy,  Elisha  Towns- 
end,  and  Moses  H.  Grinnell,  of  New  York,  and  M.  B.  Ives 
and  R.  S.  Williams,  of  Providence,  R.  I. 

The  Boston  and  Providence  Railroad  Company  was  a  cor- 
poration that  was  financially  sound,  unencumbered  with  debt, 
and  was  able  to  make  terms  with  the  steamboat  companies 
that  were  most  favorable  to  their  own  interests.  The  New 
York,  Providence  and  Boston  R.  R.  Co.,  or  Providence  and 
Stonington  R.  R.  Co.,  the  majority  of  whose  stock  was  held  in 
New  York,  appears  to  have  been  weak  financially  for  some 
years  after  its  completion.  It  opened  at  a  most  unfortunate 
period  for  a  new  enterprise,  during  the  financial  panic  of  1837. 
For  this  weakness  the  steamboat  company  made  the  railroad 
a  mere  appendage  in  their  connections  for  the  through  travel 
by  their  exorbitant  exactions. 

In  a  report  made  in  1840,  by  the  Engineer  of  the  New 
York,  Providence  and  Boston  R.  R.  Co.,  there  is  much  that  is 
laid  bare  of  the  demands  made  in  those  early  days  by  the  own- 
ers of  floating  property.  He  says  in  part:  "Steamboats,  and 
of  the  first  class,  too, — and  such  are  now  those  which  run  in 
connection  with  us — being  indispensable  to  the  route,  should, 
of  course,  be  paid  such  portion  of  the  through  fare  as  will 
not  only  defray  expenses  and  repairs,  but  adequately  reinuner- 


PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON  LINES.  283 

ate  their  proprietors,  whether  they  be  owned,  as  now,  by  an 
independent  company,  or  by  the  Stonington  or  by  the  Boston 
and  Providence  R.  R.  Co.,  or  by  the  two  latter,  jointly,  does 
not  affect  the  question.  It  is  easy  to  determine  what  that  fair 
portion  is,  and  if,  as  heretofore,  and  under  our  existing  con- 
tract, more  be  exacted  by  present  co-partners  in  the  route, 
we  must  look  elsewhere,  to  the  proprietors  of  other  steam- 
boats, or  connect  steamers  of  our  own  with  the  route.  Nor 
is  the  latter  alternative  proposed  in  an  exclusive  or  monopoliz- 
ing spirit.  For  so  secondary  do  I  regard  the  cost  of  the 
necessary  number  of  steamers  in  comparison  with  that  of 
both,  or  even  either,  of  the  railroads  between  Stonington  and 
Boston,  that  even  were  we,  the  Railroad  Company,  the  pro- 
prietors of  the  steamers,  it  is  problematical  if  it  would  not 
be  better  merely  to  keep  them  in  readiness  as  a  security 
against  extortion  rather  than  run  them  in  opposition  to,  or 
the  exclusion  of,  suitable  steamers  by  whomsoever  owned, 
which  could  be  connected  with  the  route  on  equitable  terms. 
That,  of  course, — equitable  terms — is  all  that  any  party  will 
admit  they  claim;  but  such,  surely,  it  must  be  admitted,  are 
not  the  terms  to  which  we  have  been  compelled  heretofore  to 
submit,  and  to  which,  till  the  expiration  of  the  coming  Jan- 
uary 1st  of  our  existing  contract  with  the  steamboat  com- 
pany, we  must  yet  submit,  briefly,  by  the  existing  contracts. 
Of  the  gross  receipts  via  railroad  and  steamboats,  seven-tenths 
are  paid  to  the  steamboat  company,  who  exclusively  receive  all 
the  passage  money  hence — from  New  York  or  Providence — to 
Newport,  and  all  that  outside  freight  between  this  and  Provi- 
dence, provided  one-half  the  whole  freight  transported  does 
not  pass  over  the  Stonington  Railroad,  in  which  case  the  rail- 
road company  receives  three-tenths  of  one-half  of  the  outside 
freight.  The  steamers  which  run  in  connection  with  the  Nor- 
wich Railroad,  which  road  I  doubt  not  will  be  adequately  sus- 
tained by  its  participation  in  the  general  trade  between  New 
York  and  Boston,  but  mainly  by  the  local  travel  of  the  popu- 
lous country  through  which  it  passes,  receive,  and  I  under- 
stand, are  adequately  compensated  at  two  dollars  per  passen- 
ger, as  their  proportion  on  that  route  between  New  York  and 
Norwich.  Steamers,  generally,  on  the  northern  and  eastern 
waters  of  our  country,  are  compensated  in  about  a  similar  ratio 


284  PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON  LINES. 

or  less,  and,  at  any  rate,  as  the  routes  from  New  York  to  Nor- 
wich, and  from  New  York  to  Stonington,  are  alike,  as  is  also 
the  character  of  the  trade,  it  is  fair  to  presume  steamers  can 
run  as  cheaply  to  one  place  as  the  other:  at  least,  as  cheaply 
to  us  as  to  them.  Nor  is  it  material  to  further  calculations 
that  the  proprietors  of  steamers  running  in  connection  with 
us  have  not  been  enabled  to  do  so.  Three  boats,  at  most,  one 
to  be  in  readiness  to  supply  the  place  of  either,  or  to  be  run 
as  a  day  boat  thrice  a  week,  would  suffice  our  every  purpose. 
The  steamboat  company  now  in  connection  with  us  are  the 
owners  of  five  steamers,  four  in  commission.  As  good  boats 
as  required,  and  they  should  be  the  best  in  all  respects,  could 
be  procured  for,  say,  f  75,000,  or  for  $250,000,  we  could  supply 
the  boats  we  want.  The  capital  invested  by  them  probably 
exceeds  $400,000.  The  relative  cost  of  running  boats  between 
Stonington  and  New  York,  compared  with  that  of  the  outward 
passage  touching  at  Stonington,  and  thence  to  Providence,  is 
about  in  the  proportion  of  five  to  eight,  in  favor  of  the  former. 
At  but  a  very  inconsiderable  additional  cost  to  the  railroad, 
the  whole  extra  cost  of  the  outward  passage  may  be  avoided 
by  stopping  the  steamers  at  Stonington.  But  without  further 
dwelling  on  what  may  have  been  prolific  sources  of  expense 
to  the  steamboat  company,  we  know  enough,  and  enough  has 
been  said,  to  show  that  their  expenditures  are  no  criterion  by 
which  to  determine  what  they  must  necessarily  be.  In  enumerat- 
ing the  number  required  for  all  our  purposes,  three  were  men- 
tioned as  sufficient,  one  of  which  to  supply  the  place  of  either 
on  an  emergency,  and  usually  to  be  employed  in  the  summer 
months  as  a  <lat/  boat.  1  feel  satisfied  that  a  tri-weekly  day 
line  will  be,  next  season,  worthy  of  experiment.  It  will,  at 
least,  be  a  great  public  accommodation,  will  attract  many  to 
Stonington  and  thereby  sustain  the  spacious  hotel  owned  by 
the  corporation,  and  will  conclusively  demonstrate  the  supe- 
riority of  our  route  over  all  others,  as  by  it,  and  it  alone,  can 
the  journey  between  New  York  and  Boston  be  performed  in  a 
day,  and  by  daylight,  as  is  easily  practicable  in  thirteen  to 
fourteen  hours. 

"It  will  be  conceded  that  while  it  is  the  most  expeditious 
route,  we  are  not  only  enabled  to  transport  by  it  as  cheaply  as 
by  any  other  route,  but  yet,  in  order  to  insure  the  general  pref- 


PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON  LINES.  285 

erence  to  which  it  is  entitled,  our  charges  to  the  passenger 
must  not  exceed  those  to  which  he  would  be  subject  by  other 
routes.^ In  other  words,  the  fare  must  be  the  same  as  it  is, 
whether  we  take  the  route  from  New  York  to  Boston  via  Ston- 
ington,  or  via  Norwich,  with  neither  of  which  can  the  direct 
route  by  steamers  to  Providence  compete  with  the  least  chance 
of  being  ultimately  sustained.  That  fare,  as  at  present  estab- 
lished, is  $5.00.  The  question  is,  is  that  the  proper  fare?  Is 
it  such  as  probably  effects  the  object,  to  wit,  the  greatest 
revenue?  The  distance  by  either  route  is  upwards  of  200 
miles,  say,  215  via  Stoningtonj  and  at  least  236  via  Norwich. 
We  know  of  no  instance  in  the  chain  of  communication,  of 
which  the  Stonington  and  Norwich  Railroad  are  links,  even 
from  the  interior  of  Georgia  to  Augusta,  thence  to  Charleston, 
S.  C.,  thence  via  Wilmington,  N.  C.,  and  steamers  and  railroads 
to  the  City  of  New  York,  in  which  the  fare  is  less  than  4  cents 
per  mile,  while  on  the  other  hand  it  ranges  up  to  10  cents  per 
mile,  and  certainly  on  the  average  is  5  cents.  From  Wrashing- 
ton  City  to  Baltimore,  40  miles,  the  fare  per  passenger  is  $2.50; 
from  Baltimore  to  Philadelphia,  and  from  Philadelphia  to  New 
York,  the  distance  being  in  either  case  about  the  same  as  that 
from  Stonington  to  Boston,  or  equal  to  the  united  length  of 
the  Stoniugton  and  the  Boston  and  Providence  railroads,  the 
fare  is  $4.00,  or  exceeding  4  cents  per  mile.  With  admittedly 
superior  accommodations  on  our  route,  and  transported  with 
a  dispatch  unknown  on  any  road  in  the  chain  south. of  New_ 
York)£the  average  price  charged  elsewhere,  at  all  events,  the 
minimum  price  charged  would  not  certainly  be  an  undue  return 
to  us, nor  could  it  reasonably  be  complained  of  by  the  traveling 
public.  Yet  it  is  unquestionabhr  true  that,  however  reasonable 
the  charges  elsewhere  may  be,  it  is  no  criterion  for  us.  A  less 
price  than  is  reasonable  might,  and  in  some  instances,  in  my 
opinion,  probably  would,  increase  the  net  revenue;  while  in 
our  case  it  may  be  not  only  just  to  the  traveler,  but  conduce  to 
the  interests  of  the  stockholders  to  increase  it  beyond  the 
present  fare." 

"X  For  the  purpose  of  comparison  in  the  cost  of  traveling 
during  the  stage  period,  with  that  of  1840  by  railroad  and 
steamboat,  the  following  items  are  presented  for  a  trip  from 
Boston  to  Baltimore,  Md.: 


28G  PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON  LINES. 

BY  STAGES. 

From  Boston  to  Providence  by  stage,  one  day $3.00 

Dinner  on  road 50 

Supper  and  lodging  in  Providence 1.00 

Stage  to  New  York,  three  days 18.00 

Two  nights'  lodging  on  road 50 

Eight  meals  on  road 4.00 

Supper  and  lodging  in  New  York 1.00 

Stage  to  Philadelphia 9.00 

Breakfast  and  dinner  on  road 1.00 

Supper  and  lodging  in  Philadelphia . .  M 1.00 

Stage  to  Baltimore,  two  days. 10.00 


Total |49.00 

BY  RAILROAD  AND  STEAMBOAT. 

Leave  Boston  4  P.  M.,  for  Providence 2.00 

Steamboat  from  Providence,  or  Stonington  to  N.  Y 5.00 

Supper  on  steamboat 50 

Board  and  lodging  in  New  York,  one  day 2.00 

To  Philadelphia  via  Amboy  and  railroad 3.00 

From  Philadelphia  to  Baltimore 4.00 

Breakfast  and  dinner  on  road . .  1.00 


Total  $17.50 

The  steamboats  to  Providence  in  these  early  days  must 
have  been  subjected  to  considerable  delay  at  times  in  tne 
harbor,  for  a  chart  of  1834  shows  about  800  feet  from  Fox 
Point  wharf,  as  then  situated,  was  a  shoal  in  the  channel 
called  the  "Crook,"  having  but  4^  feet  of  water  over  it  at 
mean  low  water.  In  dredging,  at  a  later  period,  there  were 
found  and  removed  67  piles  in  this  locality,  the  remains  of 
dolphins  placed  there  about  1810.  The  conditions  wrere  not 
materially  altered  for  ten  years,  though  the  City  of  Providence 
had  some  dredging  done  at  this  point.  There  was  also  a  shoal 
called  "Little  Ohio"  shoal,  running  from  about  oif  Fox  Point 
to  India  Point,,  but  leaving  water  of  sufficient  depth  for  the 
steamboats  at  the  wharf.  The  first  permanent  improvement 
was  in  1853  by  the  engineers'  bureau  of  the  War  Department, 
when  9  feet  of  water  was  obtained  at  the  "Crook,"  and  in 


288  PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON  LINES. 

1873  the  depth  was  increased  to  12  feet  at  low  water.  There 
were  propellers  running  to  Providence,  prior  to  this  latter 
date,  drawing  12  feet  of  water,  but  the  'bottom  was  so  soft 
they  were  able  to  cut  their  way  'through  at  low  water  without 
any  trouble.  It  would  have  been  impossible  to  have  run  those 
large  boats  that  run  to  Stonington  from  1847,  to  Providence, 
with  any  success  at  the  latter  date. 

The  New  Jersey  Steam  Navigation  Company  had  disposed 
of  their  older  boats  a  few  years  after  organization,  so  that, 
by  1844,  they  had  only  the  ''Massachusetts,"  the  "Rhode 
Island,"  the  "Narragansett,"  and  the  "Mohegan."  The  "Narra- 
gansett" and  the  "Rhode  Island"  were  sold  in  1846,  the  "Narra- 
gansett," en  route  to  New  Orleans,  going  ashore  at  Mosquito 
Inlet,  Fla.,  on  October  28th,  and  proving  a  total  loss,  and  the 
"Rhode  Island"  en  route  to  the  Pacific  ocean,  in  1850,  was  lost 
in  the  Gulf  Stream. 

In  1844,  George  Law  began  his  career  in  steam  navigation, 
and  it  was  not  long  before  he  had  to  be  reckoned  with  in  the 
business  on  Long  Island  Sound.  He  purchased  the  "Neptune," 
with  some  others  in  that  year,  after  she  had  finished  her 
career  in  the  coastwise  service,  and  run  her  as  an  opposition 
boat  to  Providence  during  1844,  1845  and  1846,  and  made  it 
lively  with  the  three  or  four  other  opposition  lines  that  were 
there  during  those  years.  The  regular  line  run  occasionally 
to  Providence  during  this  period.  This  was  the  period  of  great 
changes  in  the  control  of  large  steamboat  interests  in  this 
country.  George  Law  and  others,  in  1845,  built  the  "Oregon," 
and  on  April  1st,  1846,  she  was  placed  with  the  "Knicker- 
bocker" on  the  regular  mail  line  to  Stonington,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  the  "Neptune"  was  withdrawn  from  Providence 
line.  The  "Oregon"  did  not  remain  on  the  Sound  line  but  for 
about  two  years  when  sold  to  Daniel  Drew,  and  in  May,  1848, 
was  running  in  the  People's  line  to  Albany.  Some  of  these 
opposition  lines  were,  in  all  probability,  the  entering  wedges 
to  the  control  of  the  New  Jersey  Steam  Navigation  Company, 
at  a  later  date. 

In  1845,  the  Providence  &  Stonington  Railroad  came  un- 
der the  direction  of  stronger  hands,  financially,  Cornelius  Van- 
derbilt,  Daniel  Drew,  D.  B.  Allen,  Eli  Kelly,  and  W.  K.  Thome, 
all  of  New  York  City,  being  a  majority  of  the  board  of  direc- 


PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON   LINES.  289 

tors.  These  names  indicate  the  two  former  persons  in  control. 
At  the  same  time  the  New  Jersey  Steam  Navigation  Company 
passed  into  the  hands  of  Daniel  Drew  as  president,  who  re- 
tained that  position  in  the  company  for  over  twenty  years. 
This  interest  in  the  railroad  was  in  control  until  1851,  Vander- 
bilt  for  some  time  having  been  engaged  with  his  Nicaragua 
line  to  the  Pacific  ocean.  At  the  same  time  the  agitation  of  a 
better  connection  between  the  railroads  at  Providence  than 
through  the  ferry  was  begun,  but  opposition  in  the  city  pre- 
vented its  consummation  until  the  building  of  the  branch  road 
by  the  Boston  &  Providence  R.  R.  Co.,  and  the  Providence  & 
Worcester  R.  R.  Co.,  jointly,  through  Pawtucket,  in  1847,  that 
was  finally  completed  in  May,  1848,  with  the  Union  Station  at 
the  "Cove,"  and  an  all-rail  route  from  Boston  to  Stonington 
was  opened  to  the  public.  The  "C.  Vanderbilt"  was  built  by 
C.  Vanderbilt,  but  passed  into  the  possession  of  the  Stoningtou 
line  and  made  her  first  trip  on  the  7th  of  June,  1847,  and  in 
July,  1849,  the  "Commodore,"  having  been  built  by  same 
parties,  was  placed  in  service. 

While  controlling  the  travel  through  Long  Island  Sound 
on  the  north  shore,  some  of  the  same  parties  wrere  engaged 
in  opening  another  through  route  from  New  York  to  Boston. 
George  Law  and  Cornelius  Vanderbilt  were  interested  in  the 
completion  of  the  Long  Island  R.  R.  to  Greenport,  and  were 
in  the  board  of  directors  for  a  few  years  after  1843.  This 
completion  was  made  possible  through  a  loan  from  the  State 
of  New  York  of  f  100,000  that  was  subsequently  repaid.  There 
has  been  only  one  other  railroad  in  the  State  that  has  placed 
itself  in  the  embarrassing  position  of  paying  a  similar  liability. 
The  railroad  company  invested  |400,000  in  floating  stock,  or 
steamboats,  docks,  etc.,  for  the  steamboat  connections.  Upon 
its  completion  to  its  terminus  on  July  29th,  1844,  a  train  left 
Brooklyn,  daily,  at  8  A.  M.,  connecting  with  one  of  the  three 
boats  that  belonged  prior  to  this  to  Cornelius  Vanderbilt,  the 
"Worcester,"  the  "Cleopatra,"  or  "New  Haven,"  that  made 
connections  at  Norwich  with  the  Norwich  &  Worcester  R.  R., 
and  at  Stonington  for  Boston  via  Providence,  each  every 
other  day.  The  time  was  31/2  hours  to  4  hours  by  rail  to  Green- 
port,  2  hours  on  the  Sound,  and  4  hours  on  the  Connecticut 
side  to  Boston.  This  was  continued  1844,  1845  and  1846,  and 


290  PKOVIDENCE  AND  STONIXGTON   LINES. 

was  discontinued  in  March,  1847.  They  run  for  a  time,  to 
Providence,  and  to  Newport.  The  United  States  government 
patronized  this  route  to  a  large  extent  in  the  carrying  of  the 
eastern  mail,  express  matter,  etc.  They  carried  over  150,000 
passengers  in  the  first  year.  This  was  the  longest  rail  route 
between  the  two  large  cities,  and  the  shortest  water  route  at 
the  time:  one  of  the  reasons  why  Providence  lost  so  much 
travel  in  favor  of  Stonington  at  this  period.  The  Long  Island 
K.  R.  had  nearly  three  years  of  good  business,  and  then  oppo- 
sition came  from  every  quarter.  In  the  latter  part  of  1846 
the  New  Haven  &  Hartford  R.  R.  was  completed,  and  Vander- 
bilt  was  running  two  boats  to  New  Haven,  with  the  mail  to 
Hartford.  He  also  controlled  the  Norwich  line,  and  with 
George  Law  and  others,  had  their  hands  on  the  Stonington 
line.  Then  in  the  spring  of  1847,  the  Fall  River  line  began 
operations.  It  had  served  their  purpose,  and  in  1850,  or  1851, 
the  Long  Island  road  went  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver. 

The  Long  Island  Railroad  was  again  used  as  a  link  for  a 
through  route  in  1873,  the  "Jane  Moseley"  being  constructed 
in  that  year  by  Lawrence  &  Foulks,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  for 
this  service,  to  run  across  the  Sound  between  Greenport  and 
Newport,  but  this  was  continued  only  during  the  summer 
and  part  of  the  fall  of  that  year.  The  vessel  was  sold  the 
next  year  to  parties  in  Baltimore  for  f 85,000.  The  last  time 
it  was  tried  was  in  September,  1891,  and  continued  for  a  few 
months,  when  a  connection  was  made  through  the  Oyster  Bay 
branch  to  Wilson  Point  on  the  Connecticut  shore,  there  con- 
necting with  the  Housatonic  Railroad,  and  the  New  York  & 
New  England  Railroad  to  the  east,  and  was  called  the  Long 
Island  &  Eastern  State  Line.  In'  this  case,  there  was  the 
transfer  of  the  train  across  the  Sound,  the  fine  steamer  "Cape 
Charles"  being  used. 

There  was  a  line  of  propellers  running  to  Providence 
from  1851,  under  the  name  of  the  Commercial  Steamboat  Com- 
pany, having  at  first  the  "Pelican,"  the  "Petrel,"  and 
the  "Osprey,"  of  135'x24'x8'  draft,  and  a  few  years  later 
the  "Curlew,"  of  150'x27'x9'  draft,  and  after  1858  add- 
ing four  still  larger  vessels,  the  "Albatross,"  the  "Penguin," 
the  "Kingfisher,"  and  the  "Sea  Gull."  This  line  was  almost  ex- 
clusively engaged  in  carrying  freight,  with  the  exception  of  a 


PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON   LINES.  291 

short  period,  when  engaged  in  a  lively  competition  with  the 
Stonington  line,  when  passenger  accommodations  were  fitted 
up  to  a  few  of  their  vessels,  but  they  soon  returned  to  the 
freight  business  exclusively.  In  1862,  the  "Albatross"  and  the 
"Penguin"  were  sold  to  the  Navy  Department  for  the  blockad- 
ing squadron  for  $75,000  each,  and  the  "Falcon,"  the  "King- 
fisher," and  the  "Sea  Gull"  wrere  chartered  for  a  time  by  the 
War  Department  for  transports,  at  from  |340  to  $390  a  day. 
In  1865,  their  fleet  of  remaining  steamers  were  sold  to  the 
Neptune  line. 

The  "C.  Vanderbilt"  and  the  "Commodore"  were  in 
service  on  the  Stonington  line  until  1856,  when  the  latter  was 
sent  to  the  Hudson  River  on  the  New  York  and  Troy  line, 
then  operated  by  the  same  company,  and  a  few  years  later 
was  returned  to  the  Sound  line  again  as  a  spare  boat,  until  lost. 
The  "Plymouth  Rock"  was  built  by  Cornelius  Vanderbilt,  and 
passed  into  the  hands  of  the  company  at  once,  in  1854,  and 
run  to  Stonington  until  stranded  in  1866,  and  the  "Common- 
wealth" was  purchased  from  the  Norwich  and  New  London 
Steamboat  Company,  in  May,  1860,  and  run  with  the  "Ply- 
mouth Rock"  until  destroyed  by  fire.  The  "C.  Vanderbilt" 
was  sent  to  the  Hudson  River  in  1857.  The  transfer  of 
the  different  vessels,  from  the  Hudson  River  to  the  Long 
Island  Sound,  and  vice  versa,  shows  the  intimate  relations 
that  existed  between  the  New  Jersey  Steam  Navigation  Com- 
pany and  the  Troy  line,  as  controlled  by  the  People's  line,  or 
New  Jersey  Steamboat  Company,  where  Daniel  Drew  was  in- 
terested so  long.  Capt.  Jacob  Vanderbilt  had  considerable 
interest  in  the  Sound  line  until  just  before  the  changes  in  the 
company,  but  little,  if  any,  in  the  People's  line.  There  was  a 
large  dividend  paid  in  1863  by  the  company  on  the  stock,  the 
proceeds  being  from  charters  of  some  of  their  vessels  to  the 
government.  The  record  shows  the  company  received  over 
$350,000  from  that  source  in  1862.  Daniel  Drew,  at  this  time, 
held  a  controlling  interest  in  the  company,  and  was  a  factor 
to  be  taken  into  account  in  transportation  along  the  main 
lines  of  travel,  north  and  east  from  New  York,  both  by  rail 
and  water.  The  larger  stockholders  in  this  line,  at  one  time 
of  their  prosperity,  were  Daniel  Drew,  Jacob  Vanderbilt  and 
Bart  Stone.  This  company  transferred  their  steamers  through 


292  PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON  LINES. 

a  so-called  auction  sale  to  the  Merchants'  Navigation  and 
Transportation  Company,  that  was  chartered  in  Connecticut 
on  December  29th,  1863.  It  included  the  "Commonwealth," 
"Commodore"  and  "Plymouth  Rock.".  They  continued  to  run 
on  the  Stonington  line  by  the  new  company.  The  Stonington 
Railroad  having  been  extended  to  Groton  for  some  time,  it 
was  decided  to  change  the  terminus  of  the  steamboat  trains 
from  Stonington  to  Groton,  and  on  September  17th,  1860,  the 
improvements  for  the  boat  service  having  been  completed,  the 
opening  was  made  on  that  day.  The  steamboats  continued  to 
run  from  this  end  of  the  railroad  until  the  destruction  by  fire 
on  December  29th,  1865,  of  all  facilities  for  making  connection* 
with  the  boats,  when  they  were  compelled  to  return  to  Ston- 
ington at  once,  making  use  of  the  old  depot  and  wharf  until 
new  structures  could  be  completed. 

The  first  serious  loss  of  this  company  was  that  of  the 
"Commonwealth"  on  December  29th,  1865,  by  fire,  while  lying 
at  her  wharf  at  Groton,  Conn.  This  involved  a  loss  of  about 
one  million  dollars,  which  includes  the  docks  and  other  prop- 
erty of  the  railroad  beside  the  steamboat,  and  was  the  cause 
of  serious  embarrassments  to  the  companies'  business.  The 
tide  was  very  low  at  the  time  of  the  fire,  so  it  was  impossible 
to  move  the  vessel.  Just  nineteen  days  later,  on  January  17th, 
1866,  after  they  had  moved  to  Stonington,  the  "Plymouth 
Rock,"  while  on  a  trip  from  Stonington  to  New  York,  the 
weather  being  very  thick  and  stormy,  ran  on  a  reef  in  the 
vicinity  of  Greenwich  Point,  and  it  became  necessary  to  beach 
the  vessel  to  save  the  lives  of  the  passengers  and  crew.  The 
vessel  was  subsequently  gotten  off  and  repaired.  Then,  to 
add  to  the  list  of  disasters  that  followed  the  company  at  this 
time,  the  "Commodore"  was  beached  near  Horton's  .Point  on 
Long  Island  shore  on  December  27th,  of  the  same  year,  in 
order  to  save  the  lives  of  those  on  board  the  vessel  at  the  time. 
She  was  caught  in  a  severe  gale  about  10  P.  M.,  and,  refusing 
to  obey  her  rudder,  was  thrown  on  her  beam  ends,  and  in  this 
condition  was  driven  across  the  Sound  and  came  to  anchor, 
but  was  found  to  be  leaking  so  badly  that  her  cables  were 
slipped  and  the  vessel  was  beached,  but  became  a  total  loss. 
Her  machinery  during  this  trying  period  stood  up  well  to  the 
strain  demanded  of  it.  During  the  following  month  the  com- 


294  PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON   LINES. 

pany  withdrew  from  service  on  the  route,  and  the  Stoning  ton 
Kail  road  Company  brought  suit  against  the  Merchants'  Navi- 
gation and  Transportation  Company  for  breach  of  contract, 
and  recovered  judgment  against  them  a  few  years  later  that 
was  compromised  for  $15,586.  They  now  had  plenty  of  trou- 
bles to  contend  with,  and  was  finally  legislated  out  of  exis- 
tence, in  1880,  which  act  closed  the  career  of  a  most  remark- 
able line.  The  control  of  this  company  passed  from  the  hands, 
of  Daniel  Drew  late  in  1864  to  some  Boston  capitalists,  whose 
representative  was  James  Fisk,  Jr.  This  was  the  period  when 
Daniel  Drew  was  actively  engaged  in  Wall  street,  and  more 
especially  with  Erie  K.  R.  stock. 

The  Neptune  Steamship  Company  was  organized  princi- 
pally by  Providence  capitalists,  among  the  organizers  being 
ex-Governor  William  Sprague,  Henry  Howard  and  Henry  Lip- 
pitt.  and  George  S.  Howland.  The  charter  was  obtained  in 
May,  1864,  but  they  had  begun  active  operations  with  the 
"Warrior''  and  the  "Triton,'  'in  1863.  The  first  fleet  that  was 
commenced  in  1863,  the  propellers  "Galatea,"  "Proteus,"  and 
"Glaucus,"  were  sold  to  the  Navy  Department,  in  July,  1863, 
before  completion  for  f  160,000  each,  which  gave  them  a  large 
profit,  and  the  former  vessel  was  disposed  of  by  the  Navy  De- 
partment to  the  Haytien  government,  in  August,  1865,  for 
$54,000.  Of  the  fleet  they  had  in  service,  the  "Electra"  was 
on  the  route  in  September,  1864,  followed  by  the  "Galatea" 
and  the  "Oceanus"  in  a  few  months.  These  vessels  were 
240'x40'xl7'.  The  company  also  built  the  "Neptune,"  the 
"Nereus"  and  "Glaucus,"  and  run  to  Boston  with  the  smaller 
vessejs,  the  "Metis,"  "Thetis"  and  "Doris,"  from  August,  1865, 
to  December,  1866,  when  the  three  former  vessels  were  sold 
to  the  Metropolitan  Steamship  Company  for  $300,000. 

After  the  company  had  been  running  their  propellers  to 
Providence  less  than  a  year  a  spirit  of  expansion  developed 
in  the  company,  and,  believing  there  was  business  for  another 
first-class  passenger  line  to  Boston  and  New  York,  found  sup- 
porters in  the  Boston  interests  of  the  Stonington  line.  These 
two  interests  were  consolidated  and  a  charter  obtained  from 
the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  in  May,  1865,  under  the  name  of 
the  Merchants'  Steamship  Company,  of  Bristol,  R.  I.  This 
was  the  beginning  of  the  Bristol  line.  Its  career  was  short  and 


PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON   LINES.  295 

full  of  trials.  Contracts  were  now  made  for  two  large  side- 
wheel  steamboats,  something  larger  and  more  in  advance  of 
the  times  than  anything  then  afloat.  These  were  known  at  a 
later  date  as  the  "Bristol"  and  "Providence,"  and  were 
launched  as  such,  but  it  was  intended,  when  their  keels  were 
laid,  to  name  them  the  "Pilgrim"  and  "Puritan."  At  the  same 
time  the  company  made  contracts  with  the  Providence,  War- 
ren £  Bristol  K.  R,  Co.,  and  the  Boston  &  Providence  R,  R.  Co., 
for  a  railroad  connection  at  Bristol,  R.  L,  to  form  a  through 
line  from  New  York  to  Boston.  Everything  was  progressing 
favorably,  when  they  met  with  the  loss  of  the  "Common- 
wealth," and  the  stranding  of  the  "Plymouth  Rock,"  and  later 
the  "Commodore."  Internal  differences  now  began  in  the  com- 
pany, followed  by  the  withdrawal  of  some  of  the  Boston  rep- 
resentatives. Financial  trials  were  now  added.  The  new 
boats  were  absorbing  money  very  rapidly  in  their  construc- 
tion, the  loss  of  their  floating  property  and  the  extravagant 
management  of  their  business  so  embarrassed  them  that  they 
were  compelled  to  close  out  their  affairs  in  the  winter  of  1866. 
They  made  history  very  fast  while  in  existence.  These  vessels 
were  launched  in  June,  1866,  but  were  not  completed  for  ser- 
vice until  June,  1867.  They  were  bought  in  a  partially  finished 
state,  in  the  winter  of  1866-1867.  by  Charles  E.  Hill,  Jacob  B. 
Jewett  and  James  Fisk,  Jr.,  as  trustees  of  a  company  that 
was  subsequently  formed  and  named  the  Narragansett  S.  S. 
Co.,  and  finished  by  them.  The  "Plymouth  Rock"  was  bought 
a  few  weeks  later  by  the  compam*.  This  company  acquired 
the  charter  of  the  "Hope  Navigation  Company,"  chartered  in 
January,  I860,  in  Rhode  Island,  which  was  amended  by  the 
Rhode  Island  legislature  in  January,  1867,  and  among  other 
items  being  the  change  of  the  name  to  the  Narragansett  S.  S. 
Co.  The  Boston  interests  in  the  company  were  at  first  repre- 
sented through  Eben  D.  Jordan,  of  Jordan,  Marsh  &  Co.,  N. 
Briggs,  J.  Bodwell  and  H.  Rogers. 

It  was  expected  in  building  these  new  vessels  to  make  a 
stronger  opposition  line  to  the  Fall  River  line  than  had  hereto- 
fore existed.  The  Fall  River  Company  had  a  year  or  so  pre- 
vious built  two  new  vessels  having  superior  passenger  accom- 
modations, and  was  thereby  increasing  their  business  very 
rapidly,  and  it  was  anticipated  by  a  strong  competition  to 


296  PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON   LINES. 

break  down  the  growing  popularity  of  the  Fall  Kiver  line  and 
eventually  to  control  all  the  water  transportation  east  of  New 
London,  Conn.  The  Bristol  line  was  as  favorably  situated  as 
the  Fall  River  line,  so  far  as  the  calling  of  passengers  at  a  late 
hour  of  the  morning  for  the  steamboat  train.  Not  so,  the 
Stonington  line. 

When  the  Fall  River  line,  under  the  new  management, 
was  pushing  the  Stonirigton  line  very  hard  for  the  through 
business,  the  latter  announced  that  "in  summer  and  winter, 
and  in  storm  and  calm,  the  "Commonwealth"  and  "Plymouth 
Rock"  invariably  make  the  passage."  This  was  after  James 
Fisk  became  interested.  That  was  the  way  the  boats  of  a 
subsequent  company  were  operated  on  the  route.  Did  it  pay 
in  either  case? 

From  the  ruins  of  the  Merchants'  S.  S.  Co.,  sprang  up 
three  lines.  The  "Nereus,"  the  "Glaucus"  and  the  "Neptune" 
were  purchased  by  the  Metropolitan  Steamship  Company; 
the  "Bristol"  and  the  "Providence"  were  purchased  by  the 
Narragansett  S,  S.  Co.,  that  run  from  Bristol,  R.  I.,  for  the 
years  1867  and  1868.  The  other  boats  of  the  line  passed  into 
the  possession  of  the  Merchants'  Steam  line  that  was  subse- 
quently chartered  as  the  Providence  &  New  York  S.  S.  Co., 
who  run  the  line  to  Providence  until  April,  1875,  when  it 
was  consolidated  with  the  Stonington  Steamship  Company. 
This  company  met  with  the  loss  of  the  "Oceanus,"  by  fire, 
while  at  her  dock  in  New  York  on  May  24th,  1868,  and,  on 
August  30th,  1872,  met  with  the  loss  of  the  "Metis,"  that  was 
run  into  and  sunk  by  a  schooner  when  about  four  miles  to  the 
southward  of  Watch  Hill  light,  resulting  in  the  loss  of  twenty- 
eight  lives.  The  license  of  the  captain  and  the  pilot  in  charge 
were  revoked,  and  the  license  of  the  first  pilot  suspended. 
This,  with  other  troubles  of  the  company,  brought  about  a 
change  in  the  management.  The  two  lines  were  consolidated 
under  the  name  of  the  Providence  and  Stonington  Steamship 
Company,  which  it  actively  retained  until  a  few  years  since. 
This  was  done  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  a  ruinous  com- 
petition by  a  first-class  line  of  steamers  running  direct  to 
Providence,  in  which  the  Stonington  R.  R.  Co.  would  have  no 
interest,  and  over  which  it  could  have  no  control. 

After  the  withdrawal   of  the  Merchants'  Navigation   & 


PROVIDENCE   AND  STONINGTON   LINES.  297 

Transportation  Company,  in  January,  1867,  there  was  no  line 
from  Stonington  until  January  20th,  1868.  During  1867,  the 
Stonington  R.  R.  Co.  and  others  organized  the  Stonington 
S.  S.  Co.,  about  85  per  cent,  of  the  stock  being  held  by  the 
railroad  company,  and  they  purchased  on  August  28th,  1867, 
two  of  the  four  steamboats  that  had  been  constructed  for  the 
New  York  and  Philadelphia  outside  line,  and  renamed  them 
the  "Stonington"  and  the  "Narragansett."  These  vessels  went 
out  of  service  just  prior  to  1890. 


STOXINGTOX. 

In  1865,  the  "City  of  Providence"  x  gunboat  'Msoao- 
laania,"  x  "Shamrock,"  was  placed  on  the  Providence  route, 
where  she  run  for  more  than  a  year.  This  was  a  beam-engine 
boat,  of  about  900  tons,  built  originally  for  Arthur  Leary,  at 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  for  the  Chesapeake  Bay  line,  but  taken  by  the 
Navy  Department  before  completion,  and  for  which  they  paid 
|152,000. 

The  Stonington  Railroad  Company  saw,  when  the  Mer- 
chants' Navigation  &  Transportation  Company  ceased  opera- 
tions, that  the  large  revenue  from  passenger  travel  and  freight 
brought  by  the  boats  would  be  lost  to  them,  and  make  their 
road  but  a  link  in  the  chain  of  railroads  from  New  York  to 
Boston,  and  that  something  must  be  done  to  retain  this  busi- 
ness that  they  had  enjoyed  since  1837.  It  was  only  by  one 
of  those  errors  in  management  that  will  occur  that  the  Fall 
River  line  did  not  have  the  "Empire  State"  on  the  Stonington 
route  before  the  formation  of  the  Stonington  S.  S.  Co.  They 
missed  the  chance  of  a  lifetime. 

The  Stonington  S.  S.  Co.  had  built,  in  1873,  the  "Rhode 
Island,"  by  Henry  Steers,  at  Greenpoint,  N.  Y.,  which  run  to 


298  PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON  LINES. 

Stonington  as  well  as  to  Providence,  until  the  "Massachusetts" 
was  ready  for  service  on  the  line  in  1877.. 

The  "Khode  Island"  commenced  to  run  as  a  day  boat  from 
the  foot  of  East  Twenty-third  street,  New  York,  to  Stonington, 
Conn.,  in  July,  1873,  at  2.30  P.  M.,  and  landed  her  passengers 
in  Boston  about  midnight.  Left  Stonington  to  return  the 
same  evening,  after  laying  over  about  two  hours,  making  the 
round  trip  in  about  38  hours  from  the  time  of  leaving  New 
York.  This  was  continued  for  two  months  only  this  season. 
The  next  year  the  vessel  was  placed  on  the  day  line  again  in 
July,  but  started  from  the  Stonington  pier  on  the  west  side 
of  the  city,  at  noon,  stopping  at  East  Twenty-third  street  at  1 
P.  M.,  and  thence  to  Stonington.  In  returning,  the  vessel 
brought  but  passengers,  express  matter  and  light  freight.  This 
enterprise  did  not  pay.  It  was  a  day  line  in  one  direction  only, 
and  landed  the  passengers  for  Boston  and  further  north  and 
east  .at  a  very  uncertain  hour  to  make  railroad  connections,  or 
to  obtain  hotel  accommodations  in  many  cases  in  the  larger 
cities.  Besides,  there  was  not  the  attraction  for  the  tourist 
to  patronize  the  day  line  for  the  passing  panorama  on  the 
land  side,  as  the  vessel  was  generally  too  far  out  in  the  Sound 
to  make  it  interesting,  unless  it  was  under  an  abnormal  con- 
dition of  tlie  atmosphere  for  the  summer  months.  Her  best 
runs  in  1873.  from  East  Twenty-third  street  to  Stonington, 
were,  viz.: 

Hours.       Min. 

July  16 6  19 

"     29 6  24 

«     30 6  17 

Aug.    2 6  26 

"      16  6  29 

"     28 6  25 

"     30  6  16 

Tn  1874,  July  15 6  23     - 

The  Stonington  line,  as  reorganized,  commenced  business 
a  few  months  after  the  Narragansett  Company,  or  Bristol  line, 
had  opened  their  line  to  Boston  via  Bristol,  and  they  were  at 
once  brought  into  open  competition,  both  lines  making  Provi- 
dence a  competing  point.  The  management  of  the  Stonington 
line  not  being  controlled  by  a  conservative  spirit  under  such 


PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON   LINES.  299 

circumstances,  and  the  administration  of  the  Bristol  line  not 
submitting  to  their  opponent's  aggressive  manner,  were  soon 
locking  horns,  and  a  war  of  rates  ensued  that  lasted  off  and 
on  between  the  two  lines  until  the  latter  went  to  Fall  River. 
The  Norwich  line  did  not  appear  to  be  so  much  affected  as  the 
principal  antagonists  in  this  war.  In  the  summer  of  1868,  the 
friction  was  so  great  that  they  had  taken  the  traveling  public 
into  consideration  by  lowering  the  first-class  fare  to  Boston 
from  New  York  to  fl.OO;  to  Providence,  50  cents;  and  meals, 
50  cents.  This  was  cheaper  and  more  pleasant  to  be  afloat 
in  the  warm  weather  than  to  be  on  shore. 

There  was  then  comparative  peace  between  the  lines  for 
a  few  years,  but  it  was  only  the  lull  before  the  storm.  The 
Stonington  Company  all  this  time  had  their  eye  on  the  Provi- 
dence business,  that  was  scattered  for  the  want  of  having 
a  first-class  passenger  line  at  their  door,  and  tliey  took  meas- 
ures to  fill  the  void,  though  they  had  a  propeller  line  at  this 
time  running  to  Providence,  having  but  limited  passenger 
accommodations.  As  soon  as  this  was  known  to  the  rival 
companies,  there  was  considerable  thinking  done  on  their  part. 
The  Old  Colony  R.  R.  Co.  was  now  in  control  of  the  Fall  River 
line.  Their  first  move,  made  early  in  1877,  was  to  withdraw 
from  a  freight  agreement  with  the  other  railroads  that  had 
been  in  force  for  twenty  years,  and  refused  to  come  to  any 
understanding  in  the  matter  with  either  the  railroads,  or  the 
steamship  companies.  Their  purpose  was  to  prevent  the  open- 
ing of  a  first-class  passenger  line  to  Providence,  as  the  short 
rail  route  to  Boston  makes  it  a  strong  competitor  with  the  Fall 
River  line.  "To  inaugurate  and  continue  a  fight  until  the 
weakest  went  to  the  wall."  This  was  the  spirit  manifested  for 
a  fight  to  a  finish.  The  new  Providence  line  was  opened  May 
7th,  1877,  by  the  "Rhode  Island"  and  the  "Massachusetts."  In 
a  few  months  the  Stonington  line  cut  the  first-class  fare  to 
Boston  to  $1.50.  The  spring  of  1878  brought  the  same  rela- 
tions between  the  main  antagonists,  but  the  Norwich  line  now 
became  involved  and  opened  a  second  line,  running  to  Allyn's 
Point  on  the  Thames  River,  with  the  "City  of  New  York"  and 
"City  of  Boston"  for  fl.OO,  first-class,  to  Boston,  while  they 
run  the  "City  of  Lawrence"  and  the  "Falmouth"  for  local  busi- 
ness. The  fight  was  now  on  in  earnest,  and  the  stubbornness 


300  PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON   LINES. 

displayed  during  this  contest  would  have  done  credit  -to  some 
former  steamboat  owners.  The  next  year  the  Fall  River  peo 
pie  woke  up  to  the  situation,  and  opened  a  second  line,  with 
the  "Newport"  and  "Old  Colony,"  to  Newport,  R.  I.,  for  $1.00, 
first  class,  to  Boston.  Each  company  now  had  a  $1.00  line  to 
Boston  that  left  the  Providence  line  and  Fall  River  line  free 
in  their  rates.  During  the  winter  of  1879,  the  propellers  were 
running  to  Providence  again.  During  the  latter  part  of  this 
year,  negotiations  were  entered  into  for  the  withdrawal  of 
the  extra  lines  and  restoration  of  the  rates  to  a  reasonable 
basis,  but  the  principals  were  not  yet  ready  to  sacrifice  what 
advantage  they  considered  they  had  obtained  so  far  in  the 
war.  Mutual  friends  advised  cessation  of  hostilities,  but  no, 
not  enough  money  had  been  spent,  as  yet,  in  the  senseless 
war.  so  the  fight  must  continue.  It  continued  for  a  year  or  so 
longer,  when,  after  several  conferences  extending  over  several 
months,  an  agreement  was  reached  at  last,  in  January,  1881, 
to  restore  the  passenger  and  freight  rates  to  a  fair  basis,  and 
the  Fall  River  line  and  Stonington  line  to  divide  the  through 
passenger  business  accruing  to  both  between  them.  They 
fought  this  out  until  the  stockholders  of  more  than  one  of  the 
lines  considered  it  was  about  time  to  work  for  dividends,  after 
laboring  so  long  in  the  interest  of  the  traveling  public  and 
freight  shippers.  So  up  went  the  rates.  It  seems  as  though 
neither  "went  to  the  wall,"  and  the  Providence  line  was  main 
tained.  Taking  that  view,  what  did  the  Fall  River  line  gain? 
All  of  the  companies  were  well  backed  financially,  and  their 
operations  were  ably  handled  during  the  contest,  else  the 
struggle  could  not  have  lasted  so  long,  and  have  ended  with 
all  being  on  top.  It  was  pitiful  to  see  how  some  of  the  large 
stockholders  mourned  the  loss  of  their  large  dividends  during 
the  long  struggle. 

The  Fall  River  Company  made  a  great  time  of  being  the 
only  line  running  "at  low  fares  that  affords  passengers  a  full 
night's  rest."  While  the  Stonington  line  was  spreading,  "Old 
Reliable,"  etc..  and  the  Norwich  line  was  content  to  cater  to 
the  "good  supper  on  the  boats  at  50  cents." 

The  Providence  and  Stonington  S.  S.  Co.  had  some  very 
severe  losses  to  their  vessels  by  collision,  and  otherwise.  Their 
motto,  at  one  time,  was:  "Old  Reliable  Never  Missed  a  Trip  in 


PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON   LINES.  301 

Seven  Years.''  Whether  such  management  is  a  good  policy 
under  all  conditions  for  owner  and  passenger,  in  which  latter 
include  the  officers  and  crew,  is  a  question.  There  certainly 
comes  a  time  when  to  miss  a  trip  shows  a  regard  for  life  and 
property.  The  "Massachusetts,"  on  October  14th,  1877,  a  few 
months  after  being  completed,  went  ashore  on  the  east  end  of 
Long  Island  during  a  heavy  easterly  storm,  but  was  finally 
gotten  off  in  a  badly  damaged  condition,  was  repaired  and  in 
service  the  next  year.  Then  the  "Rhode  Island"  went  ashore 
near  Bonnet  Point,  in  Narragansett  Bay,  during  a  thick  fog 
on  a  trip  from  New  York  to  Providence,  on  November  6th, 
1880,  and  proved  almost  a  total  loss,  only  the  engine  being 
«aved  from  the  wreck.  At  the  time  of  the  loss  of  the  vessel,  it 
was  charged  that  the  fog  signal  at  Beaver  Tail  Point  was  not 
in  operation.  An  investigation  was  made  by  the  proper  au- 
thority that  showed  at  its  conclusion  that  the  fog  signal  was 
sounding  at  the  time,  and  that  it  was  heard  several  miles  away 
in  several  directions. 

The  most  serious  disaster  of  them  all  was  the  collision 
on  the  night  of  June  llth,  1880,  between  the  "Stonington" 
and  the  "Narragansett,"  sister  ships  of  the  line.  The  "Ston- 
ington'- was  on  her  trip  from  Stonington  to  New  York,  and 
when  about  three  miles  southwest  from  Cornfield  lightship, 
and  during  a  dense  fog,  run  into  the  "Narragansett,"  that 
was  going  in  the  opposite  direction,  the  latter  taking  fire  and 
sinking  in  a  short  time.  Twenty-seven  of  the  passengers  and 
three  of  the  crew  are  known  to  have  been  lost,  and  it  was 
generally  believed  that  as  many  more  were  lost,  as  the  passen- 
ger list  on  the  ill-fated  vessel  was  in  a  highly  damaged  con- 
dition, when  found.  The  licenses  of  both  captains  were  re- 
voked by  the  IT.  S.  Steamboat  Inspectors  after  an  investiga- 
tion. It  should  be  remembered  that  these  accidents,  or  by 
whatever  name  they  may  be  called,  occurred  during  the  period 
of  the  sharp  rivalry  with  the  Fall  River  line.  The  "Narragan- 
sett" was  subsequently  raised  and  repaired,  and  placed  in 
commission  on  the  line.  The  first  time  a  company  took  occa- 
sion to  relieve  themselves  of  all  liability  outside  of  the  vessel 
involved  in  the  accident  wras  on  that  of  the  ferryboat  "West- 
field."  The  accident  occurred  on  July  30,  1871. 

In  1882,  another  wooden  hull  was  built  for  the  company. 


302  PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON   LINES. 

at  Noank,  Conn.,  of  about  the  same  dimensions  as  the  "Rhode 
Island,"  of  1873,  and  the  engine  from  the  latter  vessel  fitted 
in  the  new  hull,  but  this  time  the  cylinder  of  the  engine  was 
placed  forward  of  the  shaft.  The  new  vessel  was  named 
"Rhode  Island."  This  engine  was  removed  in  1890,  and  a 
compound  beam  engine  erected  in  its  place,  which  is  now  do- 
ing duty  in  the  vessel,  being  built  by  the  Morgan  Iron  Works, 
from  designs  of  Henry  Leverett  and  Frederick  Sickles,  hav- 
ing cylinders  64"x84"  and  84"  by  144  inches. 

In  1889,  another  wooden  hull  was  built  at  Noank,  Conn., 
and,  when  completed,  named  "Connecticut."  The  vessel  was 
fitted  with  an  inclined  oscillating  compound  engine,  built  by 
William  Cramp  &  Sons  S.  &'E.  B.  Co.  The  vessel  has  not  seen 
as  much  service  as  other  vessels  of  the  line.  Her  engine  has 
been  thought  to  be  everything  but  a  success,  and  it  is  alto- 
gel  her  improbable  that  another  of  the  same  type  will  be  built 
by  the  company.  The  "Nashua"  and  the  "Connecticut"  would 
appear  to  be  enough  for  one  company. 

In  1892,  the  single-screw  propellers  "Maine"  and  the  "New 
Hampshire"  were  added  to  the  Stonington  line,  and  to  them 
have  fallen  most  of  the  Stonington  line  service  since  then. 
They  have  proved  themselves  to  be  serviceable  vessels  that 
are  well  adapted  for  the  business,  and  of  better  speed  than  the 
earlier  side-wheelers  on  the  route,  and  still  afloat.  The  "New 
Hampshire"  seems  to  have  been  the  most  able  of  the  two 
vessels.  In  June,  1896,  her  average  time  for  28  trips  from 
dock  to  dock  was  6  hours  and  55  minutes.  Also  June  1st, 

1892,  made  a  trip  in  6  hours  and  34  minutes,  and  May  24th, 

1893,  0  hours  and  47  minutes. 

The  New  York  and  New  Haven  Steamboat  Company 
opened  a  new  line  to  Providence  in  June,  1899,  called  the  Nar- 
ragansett  Bay  Line,  but  as  soon  as  the  company  came  under 
the  control  of  the  New  York,  New  Haven  and  Hartford  R.  R. 
Company,  during  the  following  year,  the  line  was  withdrawn. 

The  "Joy  Steamship  Company"  commenced  running  as  a 
freight  line  from  New  York  to  Providence  in  September,  1899, 
with  the  propeller  "Allan  Joy,"  x  "Cape  Charles,"  built  in 
1898,  at  Chester,  Pa.,  and  at  the  same  time  they  opened  a 
freight  line  to  Boston,  Mass.,  by  the  outside  route,  with  the 
"Old  Dominion."  the  side- wheel  beam  engine  steamship  form- 


PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON  LINES.  303 

erly  in  the  Old  Dominion  line  to  Norfolk,  Va.  They  con- 
tinued this  service  until  March,  1900,  except  for  an  interval 
on  the  Providence  route,  when  they  changed  their  terminus 
in  New  York  to  the  east  side  of  the  city,  and  in  June  following 
opened  a  passenger  line  with  the  "Rosalie"  x  "City  of 
Bridgeport,"  having  in  the  meantime  disposed  of  the  "Allan 
Joy"  to  the  Bridgeport  Steamboat  Company.  The  "Rosalie'' 
having  proved  too  small  for  th'eir  business,  they  chartered  the 
"Martinique"  x  "Lincoln,"  a  propeller,  built  in  Bath,  Me., 
in  1897,  and  this  vessel  they  continued  to  run  until  the  fall, 
when  they  obtained  the  "Shinnecock,"  under  charter  from 
the  Montauk  Steamboat  Company,  that  run  on  the  line  during 
the  winter  and  spring  of  1901.  In  the  month  of  April  the 
"Tremont,"  from  the  coast  of  Maine,  was  then  chartered,  and 
shortly  after  the  "Penobscot,"  from  the  Boston  and  Bangor 
line,  was  added  to  form  a  daily  line,  the  "Tremont"  in  the 
meantime  having  been  purchased.  In  October  the  "Penobscot" 
was  withdrawn,  and  the  "Virginia,"  of  the  Bay  line,  of  Balti- 
more, Md.,  having  been  chartered,  was  put  in  her  place,  and 
run  until  June,  1902,  when  the  "City  of  Key  West"  x  "City 
of  Richmond"  was  purchased  and  run  with  the  "Tremont." 
This  vessel  proving  too  slow  and  unsuitable  for  the  business 
of  the  line,  the  "Cumberland,"  from  Boston,  Mass.,  was  pur- 
chased in  August,  1902,  just  after  her  collision  in  Boston 
harbor,  and  renamed  "Larchmont." 

The  company  were  very  unfortunate  with  their  vessels  dur- 
ing the  summer  of  1901.  The  "Old  Dominion"  went  ashore 
during  a  heavy  fog  on  Rye  Beach,  in  Long  Island  Sound,  on 
July  6,  where  she  remained  for  nearly  one  month.  The  vessel 
was  finally  gotten  off  in  a  very  bad  condition  and  towed  to 
Brooklyn.  She  was  subsequently  repaired  at  a  large  expense 
and  placed  on  the  outside  line  again  in  the  following  No- 
vember. The  propeller  "Cocoa"  x  "Cuba,"  built  in  1879,  took 
her  place  in  the  interval.  Then  the  "Tremont,"  on  July  16, 
just  ten  days  later,  was  run  into  by  the  steam  yacht  "Wild 
Duck,"  while  the  former  was  on  a  trip  from  Providence  to 
New  York,  and  near  the  mouth  of  the  Connecticut  River, 
cutting  the  vessel  almost  clean  through  within  twenty  feet 
of  the  stem,  but  help  being  at  hand  from  several  of  the  Sound 
steamboats,  the  vessel  was  beached  near  New  London  after 


304  PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON   LINES. 

her  passengers  had  been  taken  off.  The  vessel  was  shortly 
after  repaired  at  Brooklyn  and  placed  on  the  line  again. 

This  company  appears  to  have  made  a  most  able  opposi- 
tion to  the  "New  line"  of  the  Consolidated  Company,  and  with 
all  the  ill  fortune  to  their  floating  stock  of  a  few  years  ago 
appear  to  prosper.  They  are  large  freight  carriers  on  both 
of  their  lines,  and  if  the  "New  line"  found  it  profitable  to  cater 
to  the  passenger  travel  at  50  cents  to  Providence,  the  Joy  line, 
with  less  expensive  vessels,  more  than  probable  found  it  so  at 
75  cents  or  f  1.00  fare.  This  low  fare  scheme  seemed  at  one 
time  as  a  fixture.  It  appeared  to  have  developed  a  class  of 
travel  that  found  it  to  their  business  interests  to  make  more 
frequent  trips  to  and  from  the  terminal  cities  than  when  the 
expenses  of  a  trip  were  at  higher  rates.  It  is  found  that  the 
class  of  travel  patronizing  these  very  low  rates  of  fare  are 
generally  indifferent  to  the  furnishing  of  the  rooms  they 
occupy  on  board,  and  for  a  well-furnishejl  vessel  to  be  placed 
on  such  a  line  is  sure  to  meet  with  almost  the  total  destruction 
of  the  furnishing  of  the  rooms,  through  ill  usage  or  otherwise, 
in  a  single  season.  It  does  not  pay  to  run  a  line  at  any  such 
rates  as  prevailed  during  this  opposition,  even  with  the  large 
increase  of  passengers  carried.  The  regular  Providence  line 
suffered  in  its  passenger  business  during  this  opposition. 

The  New  York,  New  Haven  and  Hartford  R.  R.  Company, 
through  the  regular  Providence  line,  gave  no  concern  about 
the  Joy  line  when  it  first  started,  and  as  long  as  it  remained 
a  freight  line  exclusively,  but  as  soon  as  they  opened  a  pas- 
senger line  the  railroad  company  woke  up  to  the  situation, 
and  in  July  placed  the  "Massachusetts"  on  the  route  as  the 
"New  line,"  with  the  cut  rate  passenger  fare  of  fl.OO.  This 
they  continued  until  the  "Chester  W.  Chapin,"  one  of  their 
fine  twin-screw  propellers,  took  the  place  of  the  "Massachu- 
setts" for  the  fall  and  winter  months  at  the  lower  passenger 
fare  of  75  cents.  The  "Chapin"  met  with  an  accident  during 
a  dense  fog  in  March,  1901,  by  striking  on  the  north  side  of 
Patience  Island,  in  Providence  River,  and  sinking  in  a  short 
time.  Before  her  repairs  were  completed,  the  company  opened 
a  daily  line,  in  May,  with  a  further  reduction  in  fare  to  50 
cents,  with  the  "Connecticut"  and  the  "Rhode  Island,"  pre- 
pared to  drive  off  all  opposition  that  had  begun  to  assume 


PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON   LINES.  305 

too  formidable  proportions.  The  Joy  line  at  this  time  were 
maintaining  their  usual  rate  of  fare  to  Providence  at  $1.00. 

The  Consolidated  Company  opened  their  regular  line  to 
Providence  in  June,  1901,  with  the  "Plymouth"  and  the  "Con- 
necticut," and  placed  the  "Massachusetts"  with  the  "Rhode 
Island"  on  the  "New  line."  The  regular  line  boats  were  with- 
drawn in  November,  but  the  "New  line"  continued  during  the 
fall  and  winter,  and  as  long  as  the  opposition  lasted,  to  do 
a  large  passenger  and  freight  business.  The  passenger  fare 
had  been  continued  at  50  cents. 

In  October,  1902.  the  rival  companies  came  to  an  agree- 
ment, and  the  "New  line"  was  withdrawn.  The  Joy  line  is  the 
only  passenger  line  to  Providence  outside  of  the  Old  line. 

On  June  1st,  1847,  the  "Oregon"  and  the  "C.  Vanderbilt" 
had  a  race  on  the  Hudson  River,  from  off  the  battery  in  New 
York  City,  to  Sing  Sing  and  return,  for  one  thousand  dollars 
a  side.  The  "Oregon"  was  the  property  of  George  Law,  and 
was  commanded  by  Capt.  Seth  Thayer,  while  the  "C.  Vander- 
bilt" was  in  charge  of  her  owner,  Cornelius  Vanderbilt.  The 
latter  boat  was  at  this  time  just  from  the  hands  of  her  builder, 
not  having  been  placed  in  commission  on  the  Stonington  line, 
A  few  minutes  before  11  o'clock  on  the  morning  named,  the 
"Vanderbilt"  appeared  off  the  battery,  when  the  "Oregon" 
left  her  dock  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  and  took  her  position 
on  the  port  side  of  the  "Vanderbilt,"  and  at  four  minutes 
before  eleven  o'clock,  everything  being  in  readiness  on  board 
the  contesting  boats,  the  signal  was  given  for  the  start,  and 
both  vessels  entered  on  the  contest.  It  was  the  first  of  the 
ebb  tide,  high  water  at  New  York  being  at  10.16  a.  m.  The 
race  was  entered  on  with  so  much  spirit,  and  continued  with 
so  much  grim  determination  "to  do  or  die,"  traits  that  the 
owners  were  both  noted  for,  that  the  boats  were  almost  bow 
and  bow  for  about  thirty  miles,  neither  one  gaining  any 
material  advantage.  At  this  point  the  "Vanderbilt"  gained 
on  the  "Oregon,"  the  former  making  21  revolutions  of  her 
engine  per  minute,  and  the  latter  making  19%  revolutions. 
The  "Oregon,"  realizing  that  a  critical  period  in  the  contest 
had  arrived,  the  power  of  her  engine  was  increased  to  21  and 
2iy2  revolutions,  when  she  gained  on  the  "Vanderbilt,"  and 
arrived  at  the  stake  boat  opposite  Sing  Sing  half  a  length 


306  PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON   LINES. 

ahead,  in  one  hour  and  thirty-five  minutes  from  the  Battery. 
When  passing  the  "Vanderbilt"  the  "Oregon"  was  run  into  by 
the  former,  and  her  starboard  water  wheel  was  much  dam- 
aged. This  is  believed  to  have  been  caused  mainly  by  the 
owner  of  the  "Vanderbilt"  interfering  with  the  duties  of  the 
pilot  in  the  manipulations  of  the  engineer's  bells  just  prior 
to  turning  the  stake  boat,  and  not  from  any  malicious  purpose 
to  damage  or  hinder  the  "Oregon."  In  turning  the  stake  boat 
the  engineer  of  the  "Vanderbilt"  made  a  mistake  in  answering 
the  bell  from  the  pilot  house,  and  instead  of  reducing  the 
speed  of  his  engine  so  as  to  allow  the  vessel  to  turn  to  better 
advantage,  he  stopped  the  engine  entirely,  which  retarded  her 
progress  materially  for  a  few  minutes.  The  "Oregon"  had 
a  fair  advantage  on  the  beginning  of  the  return,  and  main- 
tained it  throughout  the  rest  of  the  race,  coming  to  the  start- 
ing point  about  a  fourth  of  a  mile  in  advance  of  the  "Vander- 
bilt." When  below  Yonkers,  her  supply  of  coal  was  exhausted, 
and,  to  keep  up  the  pressure  of  steam  necessary  to  hold  the 
position  she  had  gained  over  her  adversary,  they  were  forced  to 
tear  out  the  berths  in  her  cabin,  take  settees,  doors,  chairs,  and 
everything  of  a  comparatively  light  and  combustible  nature,  to 
keep  up  the  pressure  of  steam  in  her  boilers.  It  is  said  that 
after  the  race  the  joiner  work  of  her  main  deck  looked  as 
though  a  cyclone  had  struck  it.  Her  pressure  of  steam  was 
somewhat  reduced  during  this  period,  but  she  was  so  far  in 
advance  of  the  "Vanderbilt"  that  the  latter  could  not  recover 
the  lost  ground.  On  the  return  both  were  pushed  to  their 
utmost.  Each  made  about  22  revolutions  of  their  engine  at 
times,  and  carried  all  the  steam  they  could  get.  The  distance 
from  the  Battery  to  the  stake  boat  and  return  to  the  starting 
point  was  66.76  miles,  which  includes  the  turning  at  the  stake 
boat.  The  "Oregon"  made  the  distance  in  3  hours  and  15 
minutes,  against  the  tide  one  way  and  with  the  tide  the  other 
direction,  being  an  average  speed  of  21.10  miles  per  hour. 
This  is  believed  to  have  been  the  only  race  between  two  steam- 
boats, in  which  there  was  a  money  consideration  involved,  that 
has  occurred  in  New  York  waters.  This  was  before  the  steam- 
boat law  of  1852.  Several  steamboats,  crowded  with  ex- 
cursionists, w7ent  a  considerable  distance  up  the  river,  follow- 
ing in  the  wake  of  the  contestants  and  meeting  them  again  on 


f>1 


I  Mill1 


in: 


308  PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON   LINES. 

the  return  to  the  starting  point.  It  was  a  great  day  on  the 
water  for  those  of  New  York  City  and  vicinity.  The  same 
day  the  steamship  "Washington"  started  on  her  first  trip  to 
Bremen  from  New  York. 

"Oregon/'  1845.— Hull,  by  Smith  &  Dimon,  of  New  York, 
318'x35'xlO';  draft,  6';  one  beam  engine,  by  the  Novelty 
Iron  Works,  72"xll'  stroke,  with  the  shaft  forward  of  the 
cylinder,  in  Hudson  River  style;  paddle  wheels,  34'  diameter 
by  11'  face;  two  flue  boilers  on  the  guards. 

"C.  Vanderbilt,"  1847.— Hull,  by  Bishop  &  Simonson, 
300'x35'6xlO'3;  draft,  8';  one  beam  engine,  by  the  Allaire 
Works,  72"x12'  feet  stroke,  with  water  wheels  35'6  diameter 
by  9'  face. 

"Commodore,"  1848.— Hull,  by  Bishop  &  Simonson,  275'x 
32'xll',  with  a  beam  engine  65"  cylinder  and  11'  stroke,  by 
the  Allaire  Works. 

"Plymouth  Rock,"  1854. — Hull,  by  Jeremiah  Simonson, 
330'x40'xl2'8,  with  a  draft  of  7';  one  beam  engine,  'by  the 
Allaire  Works,  of  76"  cylinder  and  12'  stroke,  with  water 
wheels  37'  diameter  and  10'  face;  two  flue  boilers  on  guards. 

"Bristol"  and  "Providence,"  1867.— Each  hull  by  William 
H.  Webb,  and  one  beam  engine  and  boilers  by  John  Roach,  at 
Etna  Iron  Works;  hull,  360  feet  long,  48  feet  .beam  and  16  feet 
depth  of  hold;  draft  of  water  at  launching,  forward  4'  8",  aft 
6'6";  draft,  with  all  boilers  and  tanks  filled  with  water,  133 
tons  of  coal,  anchors,  chains,  boats,  etc.,  on  board,  was,  for- 
ward, 12'  3",  aft,  13'  6";  beam  engine,  110"  cylinder  by  12' 
stroke,  having  Sickles  adjustable  cut  off;  water  wheels,  38'  8" 
diameter  by  12'  face;  dip,  when  loaded,  4';  three  boilers  in  the 
hold,  each  having  double  tier  of  furnaces. 

"Electra,"  "Galatea,"  Glaucus"  and  "Oceanus,"  1864.— 
Single-screw  propellers;  hulls  by  J.  Van  Deusen,  foot  East 
Sixteenth  street,  New  York  City,  each  240'x40'xl7',  and  hav- 
ing two  simple  condensing  engines,  with  cylinders  44"  diameter 
and  36"  stroke,  and  propeller  of  13'  diameter  and  22'  pitch; 
coal  consumption,  20  tons  a  trip;  Etna  Iron  Works  built  the 
engines  for  the  "Electra"  and  the  "Galatea." 

The  "Metis,"  "Thetis"  and  "Doris,"  were  213'x35'xl5'; 
draft,  11',  with  simple  engine,  50"x40"  stroke. 

"Narragansett"   and   "Stonington,"   1866.— Each   hull   by 


PROVIDENCE  AND  STONINGTON    LINES.  309 

• 

Jeremiah  Simonson,  253'x40'xlo';  draft,  when  loaded,  10'; 
one  bean)  engine,  62"  cylinder  and  12'  stroke,  but  few  years 
later  a  larger  cylinder  of  72"  was  substituted.  See  New  York 
and  Philadelphia  Outside  line. 

"Rhode  Island,"  1873.— Hull  by  Henry  Steers,  at  Green- 
point,  N.  Y.,  325'x45'6xl5'4;  loaded  draft,  10'.  One  beam  en- 
gine, 90"  diameter  of  cylinder  and  14'  stroke,  by  Morgan  Iron 
Works,  and  water  wheels,  37'6xl2'  face. 

"Massachusetts,"  1877.— Hull,  by  Henry  Steers,  323'8x 
42'5xl5'7;  with  one  beam  engine,  90"  diameter  of  cylinder 
and  14'  stroke,  by  John  Roach  &  Son,  at  Morgan  Iron  Works ; 
water  wheels,  38'8xl2'. 

"Rhode  Island,"  1882.— Hull  by  Robert  Palmer,  at  Noank, 
Ct,  332'x46'3xl6'4;  one  beam  engine.  90"xl4'  stroke,  from 
'•Rhode  Island"  of  1873. 

"Connecticut,"  1889.— Hull  by  Robert  Palmer,  of  Noank, 
Ct.,  345'x48'xl7'3 ;  one  inclined  oscillating  compound  engine, 
56"  and  104"  diameter  by  11'  stroke,  by  the  William  Cramp 
&  Son  S.  &  E.  B.  Co. 

"Maine"  and  "New  Hampshire,"  1892.— Each  hull  and  the 
machinery  by  Harlan  &  Hollingsworth  Co.,  302'7x44'xl7'5 ; 
triple  expansion  engine,  having  four  cylinders  of  28"  and  45", 
and  51"  and  51",  with  a  stroke  of  42";  propeller,  13y2' 
diameter. 


FALL  RIVER  LINE. 

The  Fall  River  line  was  organized  in  1846,  by  Fall  River 
and  Boston  capitalists,  under  the  corporate  title  of  the  "Bay 
State  Steamboat  Company."  They  commenced  business  on 
May  18th,  1847,  with  the  "Bay  State"  and  the  "Massachusetts, ' 
one  of  the  double-beam  engine  boats  that  had  been  on  the 
Providence  line  for  the  Boston  and  New  York  Transportation 
Company,  as  a  chartered  vessel.  They  then  made  a  landing 
at  Newport.  They  run  in  connection  with  the  Old  Colony  R.  R., 
which  had  been  but  a  few  months  before  opened  between  Fall 
River  and  Boston,  thus  making  a  through  line  between  New 
York  and  Boston.  The  Fall  River  R.  R.  was  opened  for  busi 
ness  June  9th,  1845,  and  connected  at  South  Braintree,  Mass., 
with  the  Old  Colony  R.  R,,  with  which  company  it  was  united 


310  FALL  RIVER  LINE. 

• 

in  a  few  years.  The  steamboat  interests  were  well  represented 
in  the  board  of  directors  of  the  railroad  company.  The  board 
of  directors  of  the  steamboat  company  included  Kichard 
Borden,  Jefferson  Borden,  and  Nathan  Durfee,  of  Fall  River. 
They  had  the  "Eudora"  chartered  until  the  completion  of  the 
"Bay  State."  This  was  a  propeller  that  had  been  running  to 
Norwich;  her  size  was  155'x28'x9',  with  a  simple  engine,  driv- 
ing a  7'  propeller. 

The  "Bay  State"  was  constructed  by  Samuel  Sneeden  at 
New  York,  and  was  fitted  with  a  beam  engine,  built  by  the 
Allaire  Works.  In  the  next  year  the  "Empire  State"  was 
finished  by  the  same  builder,  and  fitted  with  the  same  type 
of  engine,  and  placed  on  the  route  as  a  consort  to  the  "Bay 
State."  These  twro  vessels  performed  the  service  of  the  line 
until  the  "Metropolis"  was  built,  in  1854,  by  the  same  builder, 
but  her  engine  was  constructed  at  the  Novelty  Works,  and  at 
the  time  was  the  largest  marine  engine  in  this  country. 

Prior  to  1854  the  "Bay  State"  was  considered  the  fast 
boat  of  the  line,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  any  steamboat  on  Long- 
Island  Sound  could  excel  her  in  point  of  speed  until  the 
"Metropolis"  was  placed  in  commission,  when  she  was  forced 
to  yield  the  whip  to  the  new  boat. 

When  the  "Bay  State"  made  her  first  trip  to  Fall  Kiver, 
on  May  18th,  1847,  the  "Oregon,"  which  at  that  time  was  but 
one  or  two  years  old  and  running  on  the  Stonington  line,  and 
considered  something  above  the  ordinary  in  speed,  was  leaving 
New  York  on  the  same  night  on  her  regular  trip,  and  after 
passing  beyond  the  crowded  portion  of  the  East  Kiver,  the  two 
steamboats  were  prepared  for  a  race  through  Long  Island 
Sound.  It  must  be  remembered  at  this  time  there  were  no  lynx- 
eyed  steamboat  inspectors  on  duty  prying  around  the  engine 
room  when  the  boys  intended  to  have  "a  brush,"  as  that  would 
have  been  considered  an  infringement  of  their  rights  as  Amer- 
ican citizens.  The  boys  had  not  been  educated  to  the  higher 
criticism  of  inspection  at  that  early  day,  and  would  have 
rebelled  at  any  restriction  placed  upon  them,  as  they  did  in 
part  at  a  later  date.  The  steamboat  law  was  not  passed  until 
five  years  later.  It  was  an  open  secret  for  some  time  that 
there  was  to  be  a  test  of  speed  between  these  two  steamboats 
among  those  engaged  in  water  transportation  around  New 


. 


I 


312  FALL  UIVER  LINE. 

York,  and  there  was  considerable  speculation  and  interest 
taken  as  to  the  result.  When  going  through  Hell  Gate  the 
advantage  was  in  favor  of  the  "Oregon,"  which  lead  she  in- 
creased slightly  until  the  sound  was  reached,  when  the  "Bay 
State"  was  "let  go,"  and  in  a  short  time  came  to  the  front,  and 
then  the  business  of  the  hour  commenced  in  full  earnest.  The 
"Bay  State"  maintained  the  slight  lead  of  about  a  length  all 
the  way  through  the  Sound  to  about  Stratford  Shoal  Light, 
and,  so  there  should  be  no  dispute  over  the  matter,  the  "Bay 
State''  took  the  north  or  Connecticut  shore  side  of  the 
"Oregon,"  and  when  off  Bartlett's  Keef,  her  advantage  of  posi- 
tion having  increased,  crossed  her  bow  a  safe  distance  in 
advance,  thus  clearly  demonstrating  her  superior  speed  over 
the  "Oregon."  It  was  without  doubt  a  most  determined  con- 
test on  both  sides.  The  tide  was  the  last  of  the  ebb  at  Hell 
Gate.  The  "Oregon"  passed  Corlears  Hook  at  5.18  p.  m.; 
Throggs  Point,  6.07;  Huntington  Light,  7.26;  Stratford  Shoal 
Light,  8.18,  and  arrived  at  Stonington  at  12.07  a.  m.  The 
"Bay  State"  arrived  at  Newport  at  2.15  a.  m.,  making  the  time 
from  dock  to  dock  in  9  hours  and  15  minutes.  They  evidently 
had  an  adverse  tide  most  of  the  distance  through  the  sound. 
The  owner  of  the  "Oregon"  was  on  board  the  boat  during  this 
trip,  and  at  intervals  during  the  long  contest  through  the 
Sound  would  call  on  the  chief  engineer  and  advise  him  to  give 
her  "another  peg" — meaning  more  steam — which  the  official 
did  as  long  as  it  was  in  his  power,  for  officers  of  steamboats 
have  no  love  for  being  outstripped  in  a  trial  of  speed  by  a  new 
boat  especially.  When  near  ing  the  end  of  the  contest  the 
engineer  wras  called  on  once  more  to  give  her  "another  peg," 
but  the  last  hole  was  filled,  and  he  "had  no  more  pegs  to  give 
her."  She  had  done  her  best,  and  was  forced  to  take  second 
place  and  see  her  adversary  cross  her  bow,  which  is  one  of 
the  hardest  moves  to  bear  on  the  part  of  a  defeated  antagonist, 
though  the  distance  of  clear  water  between  them  may  be 
short. 

George  Law  had  not  been  largely  interested  in  marine 
affairs  prior  to  the  building  of  the  "Oregon,"  but  since  then  had 
carried  a  chip  on  his  shoulder,  inviting  bids  to  remove  it.  He 
first  threw  the  glove  down  to  Cor.  Vanderbilt  in  a  tussle,  in 
1846,  between  the  "Oregon"  and  the  "Traveler,"  then  running 


FALL  RIVER  LINE.  313 

to  New  Haven,  but  as  the  latter  had  just  sold  the  latter 
vessel  to  the  New  Haven  and  Hartford  R.  R.  Co.,  he  could 
not  accommodate  Mr.  Law.  The  latter  was  spoiling  for  a 
contest,  and  his  wiry  hair  was  standing  on  ends  as  he  thought 
there  was  no  equal  to  his  "Oregon."  Then  he  went  for  the 
"Atlantic,"  of  the  Norwich  line,  but  still  he  was  not  satisfied. 
He  was  disturbed  in  his  dream  by  the  opening  of  the  Fall 
River  line  with  the  "Bay  State."  This  seemed  to  stir  him, 
for  he  issued  a  challenge  to  race  any  or  all  steamboats  having 
a  reputation  for  speed,  and  thus  settle  the  question  of  the 
fastest  steamboat  on  the  inland  waters  of  the  Atlantic  coast 
The  "Bay  State"  had  beaten  the  "Oregon"  but  a  short  distance, 
and  it  would  not  do  to  run  the  risk  of  her  losing  her  credit  for 
that  race  by  any  match  race,  so  the  invitation  was  declined 
with  compliments.  Commodore  Vanderbilt  issued  a  card  on 
the  subject,  in  which  he  said:  "This  is  the  first  I  have  heard 
of  the  challenge,  nor  do  I  believe  Mr.  Law  authorized  its  issue. 
The  following  proposition  was  made  by  my  brother,  J.  H. 
Vanderbilt,  on  board  the  'Bay  State,'  on  Tuesday,  the  25th 
inst,  in  presence  of  Mr.  Law,  Mr.  Newton,  and  Capt.  Comstock, 
to  enter  the  "Hendrick  Hudson,"  the  "Bay  State,"  the  "Oregon" 
and  "C.  Vanderbilt,"  or  any  other  first-class  steamer,  for  a  race 
to  test  their  speed,  the  three  first-named  steamers  standing  at 
the  head  of  the  list,  now  in  the  waters  of  New  York.  The 
proposition  was  to  pat  in  $500,  or  any  other  sum  per  boat,  to 
run  on  any  named  day  from  the  lower  bay  to  Haverstraw 
Bay  and  back.  This  was  agreed  to  by  Mr.  Law,  and  partially 
by  Mr.  Newton.  Captain  Comstock  wanted  until  Thursday, 
it  being  necessary  to  see  his  owners. 

"Now,  I  say,  I  will  run  the  'C.  Vanderbilt,'  untried  as  she 
is,  against  any  boat  afloat  to  any  place  they  name  where  there 
is  sufficient  water  to  float  her,  for  any  sum  from  $1,000  to 
$100,000.  This  challenge  is  open  until  Saturday  next,  when 
I  propose  trying  my  boat. 

"C.  Vanderbilt." 

This  led  to  the  race  between  the  "Oregon"  and  "C.  Vander- 
bilt," on  June  1st,  1847.  The  Hendrick  Hudson,"  having  same- 
sized  engine  as  the  "Oregon,"  and  about  thirty  feet  larger  in 
the  length  of  her  hull,  would  have  been  outclassed  in  the 
proposed  race.  A  little  later  the  "Oregon"  was  taken  to  the 


314  FALL  RIVER  LINE. 

Hudson  River  for  service,  and  occasionally  was  brought  in  the 
full  glare  of  publicity  through  a  challenge  for  a  race  by  her 
owner.  The  vessel  was  at  a  later  date  disposed  of  by  her 
original  owner,  as  he  was  then  largely  interested  in  the  coast- 
wise trade  to  the  Isthmus  of  Panama. 

The  "State  of  Maine"  was  run  as  a  day  boat  to  Newport, 
K.  I.,  from  New  York,  at  8  a.  nu,  and  from  Newport  at  7 
a.  m.,  on  alternate  days,  from  July  19th,  1853,  to  September 
14th  following. 

The  "Metropolis"  was  a  very  heavily  built  boat,  and  of  a 
medium  full  model.  She  made  some  very  fast  trips,  that  are 
thought  by  some  to  be  equal  to  any  made  on  Long  Island 
Sound,  but  figures  on  another  page  do  not  uphold  that  opinion. 
She  was  a  very  fast  one,  no  doubt,  but  there  have  been  more 
speedy  steamboats  since  then  on  Long  Island  Sound.  When 
the  vessel  was  under  way,  the  disturbance  in  the  water  through 
which  she  was  passing  was  such  as  to  give  the  appearance  of 
her  pushing  the  whole  body  of  water  before  her.  It  was  not 
an  easy  model  to  drive,  and  it  was  only  the  great  power  of  her 
engine  that  gave  her  the  speed  she  developed.  As  this  vessel 
was  a  radical  departure  in  construction  at  the  time  from  all 
river  and  Sound  steamboats,  a  few  details  may  be  of  interest 
regarding  her. 

Length  on  deck,  342  feet;  length  of  keel,  325  feet; 
breadth  of  beam,  45  feet;  depth  of  hold,  16  feet;  draft 
•  of  water,  average  load,  10  feet  6  inches;  floor  timbers 
and  frames  double  moulded,  at  keel,  20  inches;  sided. 
20  inches;  at  top,  moulded,  8  inches,  and  sided,  16 
inches;  between  centres,  24  inches;  of  white  oak,  live 
oak  and  locust;  seven  keelsons  of  wrhite  oak,  centre  of 
4  feet  in  depth,  outer  keelsons  of  3  feet  each;  engine 
keelsons,  6%  feet  deep;  top  timbers  extended  to  state- 
room deck,  10  feet  above  main  deck;  frames  were 
strapped  diagonally  with  iron  bars,  4%"x%",  on  the 
same  plan  as  the  Collins  steamships,  extending  to  the 
state-room  deck.  This  made  it  unnecessary  to  make  use 
of  the  "hog  frame." 

The  beam  engine  was  built  by  the  Novelty  Iron 
Works,  with  a  cylinder  of  105  inches  diameter  by  12  feet 
stroke,  and  fitted  with  a  Wells  £  Allen  cut  off.  There 


n  UH         nU  I     U 


316  FALL  RIVER  LINE. 

were  four  vertical  tubular  boilers,  two  on  either  guard, 
set  back  to  back  with  one  smoke  chimney  to  two  boilers, 
These  boilers  were  of  the  same  general  design  as  in  the 
Collins  steamships.      They  were  expensive  boilers  to 
keep  in  repair,  and  were  removed  in  1860.     The  average 
pressure  of  steam  was  22  to  25  pounds,  cutting  off  at 
from  3%  feet  to  5  feet,  with  14%  to  15%  revolutions 
per  minute.    Consumption  of  coal,  anthracite,  40  to  60 
tons  per  trip;  water  wheels  of  iron,  41  feet  diameter, 
with  32  buckets  in  each  wheel,  13  feet  long. 
The  extension  of  the  joiner  work  to  enclose  the  forward 
main  deck  to  the  stem  was  in  all  probability  first  used  along 
the  Atlantic  coast  on  the  "Metropolis,"  and  then  on  the  "Com- 
monwealth." 

The  average  running  time  of  the  "Metropolis,"  when  new, 
was  10  hours,  consuming  44  tons  of  coal  when  running  her 
blowers,  and  with  natural  draft  only  in  11  hours  and  34 
tons  of  coal.  The  average  running  time,  at  this  same  period, 
of  the  "Bay  State"  and  the  "Empire  State,"  was  11  hours,  and 
consuming  44  tons  of  coal  per  trip,  and  operating  under 
a  steam  pressure  of  30  Ibs.  to  45  Ibs.  per  square  inch,  according 
to  circumstances. 

After  the  "Newport"  and  the  "Old  Colony"  were  added  to 
the  line,  in  1865,  the  "Metropolis"  was  withdrawn  for  a  time 
from  further  service,  and  some  years  later  was  broken  up  at 
Boston. 

In  1863  a  change  took  place  in  the  controlling  interest  of 
the  Bay  State  Steamboat  Company,  it  passing  to  Boston  and 
Newport  parties.  It  was  reorganized  on  June  8th,  1863,  as  the 
"Boston,  Newport  and  New  York  Steamboat  Company,"  at 
Newport,  R,  I.,  with  a  capital  stock  of  |650,00().  The  first 
Board  of  Directors  were  E.  S.  Tobey,  John  R.  Brewer,  James 
L.  Little,  Benj.  E.  Bates,  and  James  H.  Beal,  of  Boston,  Mass.; 
Alex.  Holmes,  of  Kingston,  Mass.;  Benj.  Finch  and  Rufus  B. 
Kinsley,  of  Newport,  R.  L,  and  Nathan  Durfee,  of  Fall  River, 
Mass.  Four  hundred  and  eighty-four  thousand  dollars  of  the 
capital  stock  of  the  company  at  this  time  was  owned  by 
Boston  people.  So  the  company  was  now  controlled  by  Boston 
interests.  They  soon  started  in  to  build  a  new  fleet  for  the 
line.  In  1864  they  had  a  wooden  hull  propeller  built  at 


'  FALL  RIVER  LINE. 

Medford,  Mass.,  designed  especially  for  freight,  named  "Fall 
River,"  of  GOO  tons,  but  on  account  of  her  limited  freight 
capacity,  with  the  habit  of  violently  pitching  in  a  head  sea, 
due  to  her  sharp  lines  fore  and  aft,  she  proved  a  grand  failure, 
and  was  broken  up  in  3880.  In  1865  the  "Old  Colony"  was 
built  at  New  York  and  fitted  with  the  engine  from  the  "Bay 
State,"  with  a  new  cylinder  4  inches  larger  than  the  old  one. 
In  the  same  year  the  "Newport"  was  also  added  to  the  line, 
with  the  expectation  of  high  speed.  The  best  time  to  her 
credit,  of  which  there  is  any  record,  is  a  run  of  60  miles  in 
3  hours  during  her  first  year.  Her  guards  were  narrower  than 
usually  found  on  vessels  of  her  class,  and  on  her  guards  were 
four  boilers,  two  on  each  side,  with  four  smoke  chimneys. 
After  a  few  years'  service  she  was  "sponsoned"  to  give  her 
more  stability,  as  originally  she  would  roll  down  under  a  very 
slight  provocation.  It  was  thought  by  many  whose  opinions 
were  entitled  to  some  consideration  on  the  subject  that  the 
"Newport,"  on  account  of  her  lighter  weight  of  hull  and  upper 
works  and  easier  model  to  drive,  was  a  more  speedy  boat  than 
the  "Metropolis."  If  so,  there  appears  no  record  of  such  being 
the  case.  The  new  management  made  a  new  departure  in 
1864,  by  placing  the  "Empire  State"  on  a  day  line,  both  waysr 
from  Newport,  but  continued  that  service  only  about  a  week, 
as  it  was  not  well  patronized  by  the  traveling  public. 

In  1869,  the  "Narragansett  Steamship  Company,"  which 
had  purchased  the  "Bristol"  and  the  "Providence,"  after  the 
failure  of  the  "Merchants'  Steamship  Company,"  and  had  run 
them  to  Bristol,  R.  I.,  in  opposition  to  the  Stonington  line  and 
the  Fall  River  line  for  two  years,  during  which  time  there  was 
a  cutting  of  passenger  fare  to  as  low  a  figure  as  one  dollar 
to  Boston  and  50  cents  to  Providence,  first  class,  consolidated 
with  the  Boston,  Newport  and  New  York  Steamboat  Co., 
under  the  name  of  the  "Narragansett  Steamship  Company," 
and  withdrew  the  Bristol  line  by  agreement  with  the  Stoning- 
ton Company.  This  was  Fisk  and  Gould  in  control.  It  was 
run  under  this  name  until  some  time  after  the  death  of  James 
Fisk,  Jr.,  in  1874,  who  was  the  leading  spirit  of  the  enterprise, 
when  the  "Old  Colony  Steamboat  Company,"  or  the  original 
interests  in  the  line,  purchased  the  entire  property  of  the 
company  through  the  Old  Colony  R.  R.  Company,  since  which 
time  the  line  has  done  a  steadily  increasing  business. 


FALL  RIVER  LINE.  319 

From  the  time  of  the  control  of  the  Fall  River  line  by 
the  Narragansett  S.  &.  Co.,  in  1869,  until  the  latter  company 
closed  out  their  interest,  there  was  a  sharp  competition  for 
the  business  of  the  sound  lines,  and  especially  between  the 
Stonington  line  and  Fall  River  line.  There  were  not  many 
rate  wars,  but  there  were  increased  accommodations  for  the 
traveling  public,  large  amounts  spent  on  the  decorations  of 
the  vessels,  and  everything  done  to  attract  travel.  The  Fall 
River  line  got  their  full  share  of  the  increased  business. 

The  "Bristol"  and  the  "Providence"  were  built  in  1866  by 
William  H.  Webb,  of  New  York,  in  a  very  substantial  manner 
by  day's  work,  and  nothing  was  omitted  which  money  could 
procure  to  make  them  in  every  respect  the  finest  specimens 
of  marine  architecture  of  their  day.  The  engine  of  each  vessel 
was  the  largest  engine  of  its  type  in  any  steam  vessel  at  the 
time,  and  were  constructed  by  John  Roach  at  the  Etna  Iron 
Works  from  designs  by  Erastus  W.  Smith,  engineer,  of  New 
York.  Each  vessel  had  240  state  rooms  and  over  300  berths 
in  all  for  the  accommodation  of  passengers,  and  were  able  to 
care  for  840  passengers  with  comfortable  sleeping  quarters 
on  a  trip.  Their  freight  capacity  was  placed  at  40  freight  cars 
each. 

In  1879  the  company  commenced  to  run  two  of  their  boats 
to  Newport  in  summer  and  early  fall,  at  the  same  time  running 
two  boats  to  Fall  River,  though  this  had  been  done  under  the 
Narragansett  Company's  administration  also. 

In  1883,  the  company  added  to  their  fleet  their  first  iron- 
hull  vessel,  the  "Pilgrim."  This  .was  the  first  of  the  modern 
vessels.  It  was  built  by  the  Delaware  River  Iron  Shipbuilding 
and  Engine  Works,  at  Chester,  Pa.  The  hull  of  this  vessel  was 
built  with  an  inner  and  outer  skin  on  the  bottom,  connected 
together  by  a  system  of  transverse  and  longitudinal  bracing. 
The  whole  of  the  engine-room  space  on  the  main  deck  is  en 
closed  by  plate  iron  bulkheads,  even  the  door  of  the  engine 
room.  The  vessel  has  passenger  accommodations  tor  about 
675  passengers.  The  engine  of  this  vessel  is  the  largest  simple- 
beam  engine  that  has  been  constructed  for  marine  purposes. 
The  consumption  of  fuel  for  the  first  season  she  run  averaged 
85  tons  a  trip,  but  the  size  of  the  furnaces  of  her  boilers  having 


320  FALL  RIVER  LINE. 

been  reduced  by  bricking  up,  there  was  a  reduction  in  her 
coal  consumption  in  the  boilers  to  75  to  80  tons  a  trip.  New 
boilers  were  built  for  the  vessel  in  1901.  The  vessel  has  been 
a  good  investment  for  the  company,  having  paid  for  herself 
some  years  ago  in  her  earnings.  There  is  one  thing  that  has 
marred  the  beauty  of  this  vessel,  and  that  is  the  low  free  board, 
or  nearness  of  her  guards  at  the  water  wheels  to  the  surface 
of  the  water.  The  vessel  was  originally  intended  to  be  about 
25  feet  longer  than  built,  but  previous  to  construction  it  was 
decided  to  make  the  vessel  that  much  shorter,  as  it  was  feared 
that  she  could  not  be  readily  handled  in  the  crowded  parts 
of  the  rivers  around  New  York,  on  account  of  the  extreme 
length.  The  25  feet  was  taken  out  of  the  midship  section,  the 
most  buoyant  part  of  the  vessel.  This  accounts  mainly  for 
her  setting  so  low  in  the  water,  with  probably  an  error  in  the 
original  estimate  of  her  displacement. 

In  1882,  there  was  built  at  Chelsea,  Mass.,  the  "City  of  Fall 
River,"  as  a  freight  boat  exclusively.  This  vessel  was  fitted 
with  a  compound  beam  engine,  built  by  the  W.  &  A.  Fletcher 
Co.,  and  was  the  subject  of  several  tests  to  ascertain  the 
economy  in  a  compound  beam  engine  over  a  simple  condensing 
beam  engine  in  a  vessel.  Her  performances  have  been  very 
satisfactory  to  the  company,  being  a  large  carrier  as  well 
as  very  economical  in  fuel  consumption.  A  few  years  later 
two  similar  vessels  were  built,  the  "City  of  Brockton"  and 
the  "City  of  Taunton,"  each  having  similar  type  of  engine 
to  the  "City  of  Fall  River.'' 

The  "Empire  State"  had  been  disposed  of  prior  to  1880, 
and  had  been  used  in  the  excursion  business  at  various  cities 
along  the  coast,  until  destroyed  by  fire  while  lying  at  Bristol, 
R.  I.,  on  May  5th,  1887,  belonging  to  parties  at  that  time  at 
Taunton,  Mass.  The  "Metropolis,"  in  1879,  was  purchased  by 
James  Powers  &  Co.,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  who  broke  up  the  vessel 
for  the  old  metal,  and  machinery  for  the  scrap  heap.  The 
"Bristol"  was  destroyed  by  fire  while  lying  up  at  Newport,  R.  I., 
on  December  80th,  1888.  The  "Providence"  was  broken  up  at 
Boston,  in  the  fall  of  1901,  for  the  old  metal. 

The  "Pilgrim"  and  the  "Providence"  formed  the  line  to 
Fall  River  after  the  building  of  the  former  vessel,  while  the 
''Newport"  and  the  "Old  Colony"  were  running  to  Newport  dur- 


322  FALL  RIVER  LINE. 

ing  a  portion  of  the  year,  until  the  "Puritan"  was  constructed, 
in  1889.  The  hull  of  this  vessel  is  about  20  feet  longer  than 
the  "Pilgrim,"  with  an  increased  depth  of  hold  of  about  3  feet. 
There  was  a  radical  departure  in  the  type  of  engine  for  so  large 
a  passenger  steamboat.  She  has  proved  herself  a  most  ex- 
cellent sea  boat  in  heavy  weather.  While  the  "Puritan"  has 
not  made  the  best  time  on  the  Sound,  still  she  is  a  very  speedy 
vessel.  When  she  was  a  few  years  in  commission,  and  the 
"Richard  Peck,"  a  new  boat  on  the  New  Haven  line,  there  were 
a  few  short  trials  of  speed  between  them,  but  nothing  resulted 
to  show  a  marked  superiority  of  one  over  the  other,  although 
the  figures  under  "High  Speed"  show  the  "Puritan"  to  the  best 
advantage. 

Following  the  "Puritan"  came  the  "Plymouth,"  built  in 
1890,  with  a  hull  20  feet  shorter  than  the  "Pilgrim,"  and  of  the 
same  depth  of  hold  as  the  "Puritan."  The  motive  power  was 
another  departure  in  type,  being  in  this  vessel  a  double-inclined 
triple  expansion  engine.  While  this  vessel  has  at  times  made 
fast  time  for  comparatively  short  distances  in  the  Sound,  still 
she  is  not  so  regular  on  that  point  as  some  other  steamboats 
on  the  line. 

The  last  and  largest  of  the  fleet,  the  "Priscilla."  was  added 
to  the  line  in  1894.  The  hull  is  50  feet  longer  than  the 
"Pilgrim,"  and  22  feet  longer  than  the  "Puritan,"  and  fitted 
with  double-inclined  compound  engine  of  greater  power  than 
any  of  the  other  vessels  of  the  fleet.  She  has  made  only  one 
through  trip  in  fast  time  of  which  there  is  any  record,  and  that 
is  one  of  the  best  made. 

The  decorations  of  the  saloons,  the  furniture,  and  all  the 
interior  fittings  of  the  present  fleet  are  up  to  date.  The  line 
certainly  has  been  extremely  fortunate  for  many  years  in  hav- 
ing no  serious  accidents  where  loss  of  life  was  involved.  The 
only  line  on  the  Sound  that  was  really  unfortunate,  if  it  may 
be  put  that  way,  of  late  years,  was  the  Stonington  line  prior 
to  1880. 

Will  the  marked  incentive  to  progress  in  the  character  of 
the  vessels,  accommodations,  etc.,  that  was  so  manifest  when 
the  competition  was  sharp  between  the  individual  companies, 
become  dormant  since  all  the  water  transportation  of  the 
Sound  is  under  one  controlling  interest,  with  one  exception? 


324  FALL  RIVER  LINE. 

And  as  there  is  no  longer  the  same  spirit  of  business  rivalry 
to  keep  in  advance  of  competitors  as  there  was  when  the  dif- 
ferent lines  were  controlled  by  the  individual  companies,  it  is 
fair  to  suppose  there  will  not  be  any  fast  time  made  by  the  new 
steamboats  as  formerly,  while  the  present  conditions  control 
the  situation. 

The  initial  steps  towards  the  absorption  of  the  principal 
water  lines  of  the  Sound  by  the  N.  Y.,  N.  H.  &  H.  R.  R.  Co.  were 
taken  about  1885,  and  its  consummation  to  all  appearances 
deferred  until  the  New  York  and  New  England  B.  R.  apple 
fell  from  the  tree.  The  Old  Colony  R.  R.  was  leased  to  the 
N.  Y.,  N.  H.  &  H.  R,  R.  Co.  for  99  years,  from  March  1st,  1893, 
they  assuming  to  pay  all  liabilities  of  the  former  company,  and 
agreeing  to  pay  as  rental  7  per  cent,  a  year  on  the  capital  stock. 
The  New  York,  Providence  &  Boston  R.  R.  Co.  was  merged  by 
exchange  of  stock  with  the  N.  Y.,  N.  H.  &  H.  R.  R.  Co.,  share 
for  share,  on  February  13th,  1893.  This  took  in  the  two 
steamboat  lines.  The  New  York  and  New  England  R.  R.  was 
leased  for  99  years,  from  July  1st,  1898,  the  N.  Y.,  N.  H.  &  H. 
R.  R.  Co.  assuming  all  obligations  of  the  former  company,  and 
guaranteeing  dividends  of  3  per  cent,  per  annum  on  preferred 
stock  of  the  company.  This  included  the  N.  Y.  and  New 
London  Steamboat  Company. 

The  steamboat  lines  have  proved  a  good  investment  for 
the  railroad  company  in  one  way  at  least,  and  that  has  been 
in  case  of  the  latter  being  blocked  in  the  transaction  of  their 
business  from  any  cause,  they  are  able  to  transfer  their  freight 
and  passengers  by  their  steamboat  lines  that  are  not  subject 
to  any  other  influence  or  control. 

Will  any  of  the  passenger  steamboat  lines  be  closed  up 
in  the  near  future  as  passenger  lines  by  the  Consolidated 
Company,  as  follows  the  practice  in  the  creation  of  trusts 
with  the  more  unprofitable  plants? 

The  Consolidated  Company — by  this  is  intended  the  N. 
Y.,  N.  H.  &  H.  R.  R.  Co.  and  Sound  lines — was  very  unfortunate 
in  1902  with  their  vessels,  more  so  than  at  any  other  period, 
commencing  with  the  "Pilgrim,"  in  May,  in  wrecking  the  main 
portion  of  her  engine,  followed  a  few  weeks  later  by  the 
"City  of  Brockton,"  with  a  more  complete  destruction  of  her 
engine,  and  a  few  weeks  later  by  the  "Massachusetts"  breaking 


326  FALL  RIVER  LINE. 


working  beam,  that  had  not  been  the  most  secure  for  a 
long  time,  and  then,  in  July,  the  collision  of  the  "Priseilla" 
with  the  steamship  "Powhattan,"  off  Brenton  Reef  Light  Ship, 
during  a  thick  fog,  and  the  former's  withdrawal  during  the 
height  of  tlj^e  busy  season  for  a  few  weeks  for  repairs.  The 
Stonington  passenger  service  was  closed  just  after  the  "Pris- 
eilla" collision,  made  necessary  by  the  shifting  of  the  boats 
on  account  of  the  withdrawals  for  repairs,  but  opened  again 
in  August  or  September. 

Three  beam  engines  belonging  to  the  same  company,  and 
all  meeting  with  serious  disaster  to  property  within  a  few 
weeks,  is  certainly  making  a  record.  The  only  similar  case 
that  can  be  brought  to  mind,  though  not  as  great  in  extent, 
was  that  oi  the  two  large  tow-boats,  the  "C.  Vanderbilt"  and 
the  "Connecticut,"  when  running  on  the  Hudson  River.  The 
former  broke  the  strap  of  her  working  beam,  on  June  5th,  1879, 
and  the  "Connecticut"  followed  suit  on  June  12th,  1879.  Con- 
siderable damage  was  done  in  both  instances.  Belonged  to 
one  company.  There  were  six  passenger  steamboats  on  the 
Hudson  River  that  met  with  serious  trouble  from  the  breaking 
of  their  working  beams  from  1844  to  1854.  They  were  the 
"Albany,"  "Knickerbocker,"  "Niagara,"  "North  America," 
"Troy,"  and  "Washington." 

"Bay  State,"  1846.—  Hull,  by  Samuel  Sneeden,  300'x39'x 
13'2;  beam  engine,  by  Allaire  Works,  76"  cylinder  by  12' 
stroke;  water  wheels,  38'xlO'3. 

"Empire  State,"  1847.—  Hull,  by  Samuel  Sneeden,  304'x 
39'xl3'6;  beam  engine,  by  Allaire  Works,  76"  cylinder  by  12' 
stroke;  water  wheels,  38'xlO'3. 

"Newport,"  1865.—  Hull,  by  John  Englis  &  Son,  331'x 
43'3xl4'2;  beam  engine,  by  Novelty  Iron  Works,  85"  cylinder 
by  12'  stroke. 

"Old  Colony,"  1865.—  Hull,  by  John  Englis  &  Son,  310'x 
42'xl4';  beam  engine  from  "Bay  State,"  with  larger  cylinder, 
80"xl2'  stroke  ;  water  wheels,  36'  diameter. 

"Pilgrim,"  1882.  —  Hull  and  machinery  by  Delaware  River 
I.  S.  B.  &  E.  Works,  372'x50'xl5'6;  beam  engine,  110"xl4' 
stroke. 

"Puritan,"  1889.—  Hull,  Delaware  River  I.  S.  B.  &  E.  Wks., 
403'x52'6xl8';  compound  beam  engine,  by  W.  &  A.  Fletcher 


FALL  RIVER  LINE.  327 

Co.,  having  cylinders  75"x9'  stroke,  and  110"xl4'  stroke;  water 
wheels,  with  leathering  buckets,  35'  diameter  by  14'  face. 

"Plymouth,"  1890.— Hull,  Delaware  Kiver  I.  S.  B.  &  E. 
Works,  352'x50'4xl8'8;  double-inclined  triple  expansion  en- 
gine, with  cylinders  47"  and  75"  and  8iy2"  and  8iy2"  by  99" 
stroke,  by  W.  &  A.  Fletcher  Co. 

"Priscilla,"  1894.— Hull,  Delaware  Kiver  I.  S.  B.  &  E. 
Works,  425'8x52'3xl8'3 ;  double-inclined  compound  engine,  by 
W.  &  A.  Fletcher  Co.,  having  two  H.  P.  cylinders,  each  51" 
diameter,  and  two  L.  P.  cylinders,  95"  diameter  with  11' 
stroke;  water  wheels,  feathering  buckets,  35'xl4'. 


NEW  LONDON  AND  NORWICH,  CONN. 

>fThe  first  steamboat  to  run  to  New  London  and  Norwich 
was  the  "Fulton,"  in  March,  1818,  which  run  between  New 

^  Haven  and  New  London  and  Norwich,  connecting  at  the  former 
place  with  the  "Connecticut"  that  run  from  New  Haven  to  New 
York,  the  two  forming  a  through  line  between  Norwich  and 
New  York.Y  There  was  a  small  boat  built  at  Norwich  in  1817, 
by  Gilbert  Brewster,  of  that  place,  that  he  named  the  "John 
Hancock,"  and  that  had  a  small  engine  and  a  wooden  boiler. 
During  this  year  President  Munroe  visited  this  section  of  the 
country,  and  about  the  time  of  his  expected  arrival  at  New 
London  this  boat  made  an  excursion  with  about  fifty  persons 
from  Norwich  to  New  London,  and  when  approaching  the 
latter  place  the  back  end  of  the  boiler  blew  out,  but  by  a  very 
fortunate  circumstance,  all  the  passengers  being  in  the  forward 
part  of  the  vessel,  but  one  of  the  hands  was  slightly  scalded. 

*About  1832,  the  "Flushing,"  a  boat  of  98  feet  long,  and 

Downed  by  Jonathan  Peck,  was  placed  on  the  route  between 

v)  Norwich  and  New  Yorl&,    She  had  a  square  engine,  as  did 

most  of  the  eastern  steamboats  at  this  date.      The  "Henry 

Eckford,"  that  had  been  on  the  Hudson  River,  and  was  fitted 

with  one  of  the  early  compound  engines  by  James  P.  Allaire, 

also  run  on  the  route  for  a  time,  under  command  of  Capt. 

Davison;  also  the  "General  Jackson,"  that  was  a  smaller  boat, 

and  had  been  on  the  Hudson  River,  was  for  a  short  time,  in 

1835,  also  on  the  route  to  New  York. 


328  NEW  LONDON  AND  NORWICH,  CONN. 


"Norwich/'  built  in  1836,  by  Lawrence  &  Sneeden,  of 
New  York,  for  the  New  London  and  Norwich  Steamboat  Co., 
was  run  between  Norwich  and  New  York  for  several  years, 
under  the  command  of  Capt.  W.  W.  Coitr* 

There  was  evidently  a  very  sharp  competition  on  this  route 
from  1840  to  1842  at  frequent  intervals,  as  Capt.  Sanford  had 
the  "Charter  Oak,"  while  Cornelius  Vanderbilt  was  running 
the  "Cleopatra,"  and  later  the  "Worcester,"  that  was  a  new 
boat,  in  1842.  When  Vanderbilt  and  Sanford  came  into  control 
of  the  lines  further  west  on  the  Sound,  they  formed  a  com- 
bination for  the  control  of  the  Norwich  business,  taking  in 
the  "Norwich"  at  the  same  time,  and  connecting  with  the 
Norwich  and  Worcester  R.  R.  This  continued  until  late  in 

1842.  The  railroad  from  Norwich  was  opened  to  Worcester 
in  March,  1840,  and  extended  to  Allyn's  Point,  seven  miles 
below  Norwich,  on  the  Thames  River,  in  1843.      Vanderbilt 
appears  to  have  had  the  only  connection  with  the  railroad  from 

1843,  running  as  the  N.  Y.  and  Boston  R.  R.  line  up  to  1848, 
when  Daniel  Drew  had  the  "Knickerbocker"  and  Vanderbilt 
the  "Worcester,"  which  continued  under  the  name  of  the  Nor- 
wich and  New  London  Steamboat  Co. 

In  1846  the  "Atlantic"  was  built  by  Bishop  &  Simonson, 
of  New  York,  and  placed  on  the  route  the  same  year  by  the 
Norwich  &  N.  L.  S.  B.  Co.,  and  was  the  first  of  the  Sound 
steamboats  to  use  gas  for  illuminating  purposes  that  was  made 
on  board.  This  was  a  very  able  boat,  but  her  career  was  short, 
for  on  November  25th  of  that  year,  after  being  in  service  but  a 
few  months,  she  was  lost  on  the  rocks  off  Fisher's  Island,  the 
primary  cause  being  the  breaking  of  the  main  steam  pipe, 
leaving  her  helpless  in  a  heavy  sea,  during  a  violent  northwest 
gale  just  after  leaving  New  London  harbor.  Capt.  Dustan, 
her  commander,  and  about  thirty  persons,  met  a  watery  grave. 
While  this  steamboat  was  running  to  the  Thames  River  the 
"Oregon"  was  on  the  Stonington  line,  and  the  two  vessels  had 
several  trials  of  speed,  but  they  were  very  evenly  matched, 
being  very  near  the  same  size  vessels,  with  the  same  power  of 
their  engines.  After  the  owner  of  the  "Oregon"  found  there 
were  other  fast  steamboats  than  those  he  owned,  he  issued  one 
of  his  characteristic  challenges  September  3d,  1846,  in  these 
words:  "The  friends  of  the  'Atlantic'  have  claimed  that  she 


330  NEW  LONDON  AND   NORWICH,   CONN. 

was  faster  than  the  'Oregon/  and  that  they  were  ready  to  back 
their  opinion,  and  that  if  I  offered  a  bet  it  would  be  taken 
up  before  it  was  dry.  For  the  purpose  of  testing  their  state- 
ments and  their  confidence  in  the  speed  of  the  'Atlantic,'  I 
now  offer  to  back  the  'Oregon'  against  the  'Atlantic'  to  run 
from  New  York  to  the  Lightboat  at  Stratford  for  |5,000. 
to  be  run  any  day  this  week,  two  days'  notice  to  be  given,  and 
the  money  deposited  if  this  notice  should  be  accepted.  I  will 
then  show  the  public  that  I  have  kept  my  promise  never  to 
allow  the  'Oregon'  to  race  on  her  regular  trips  to  Stonington." 
The  offer  was  accepted  to  run  during  the  month  of  December 
without  passengers,  but  as  the  'Atlantic'  was  lost  prior  to  the 
date  set  for  the  race,  the  bet  was  canceled. 


The  "Knickerbocker"  and  the  "Worcester"  continued  the 
service,  with  occasionally  the  "Cleopatra,"  until  1855,  when 
there  was  a  change  in  the  affairs  of  the  company,  the  "Con- 
necticut" and  the  "Commonwealth"  being  placed  on  the  route, 
the  latter  on  April  5th,  1855,  where  they  continued  until  with- 
drawn from  the  service,  as  an  agreement  could  not  be  arrived 
at  with  the  railroad  company  as  to  the  percentage  of  receipts 
from  the  through  travel.  H.  B.  Norton  was  president  of  the 
company  at  the  time  of  building  of  the  "Commonwealth."  She 
was  considered  to  be  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the  Sound 
boats  of  her  day,  though  not  possessed  of  high  speed.  These 
early  boats  run  mainly  to  Allyn's  Point  until  1860. 

Long  Island  Sound  was  frozen  over  in  the  winter  of  1856 
and  1857  to  such  an  extent  as  to  close  navigation  entirely.  The 
ice  was  solid  at  Sand's  Point,  so  that  communication  on  foot  or 
by  sleigh  could  be  made  with  safety  from  shore  to  shore.  There 
was  no  intercourse  through  the  Sound,  or  arrivals  at  New  York 


NEW  LONDON  AND  NORW.ICH,  CONN.  331 

through  Hell  Gate,  from  January  17th  to  February  24th,  1857, 
a  space  of  38  days,  something  that  has  not  occurred  since  those 
dates.  The  ice  was  so  heavy  and  the  floes  so  large  that  the 
light  ships  located  at  Bartlett's  Beef,  Cornfield  Reef,  and  Strat- 
ford Shoal  were  removed  from  their  stations,  for  they  could 
not  hold  fast  to  their  proper  positions,  on  January  27th,  and 
not  returned  until  March  7th  following,  a  period  of  39  days. 
Some  of  the  light  vessels  further  east  in  the  Sound  were,  re- 
moved also  for  a  time.  That  was  a  winter  of  extreme  low  tem- 
perature and  many  heavy,  snow  storms  in  this  latitude.  There 
was  an  ice  blockade  from  Sands  Point  to  Hell  Gate  for  a  few 
days  in  January,  1867,  that  closed  water  communication  with 
New  York  by  the  way  of  Long  Island  Sound.  It  was  at  this 
time  that  an  ice  bridge  formed  for  a  few  hours  on  January 
17th,  and  also  on  the  23d,  between  New  York  and  Brooklyn, 
and  a  large  number  of  people,  on  both  days,  took  advantage  of 
the  condition  to  walk  across  the  river  on  the  ice,  and,  on  the 
25th,  several  adventurous  persons  crossed  the  Hudson  River. at 
42d  street,  New  York.  In  February,  1875,  all  water  communi- 
cation was  closed  for  about  ten  days  through  Hell  Gate  to 
Sands  Point,  and  four  of  the  large  Sound  boats  were  locked 
in  the  ice  at  the  latter  point  for  about  four  days.  During  four 
days  of  this  period  the  Fall  River  line  sent  the  "Old  Colony" 
and  the  "Newport/7  and  the  Stonington  line  the  "Stonington" 
by  way  of  Sandy  Hook  and  the  east  end  of  Long  Island,  having 
a  Sandy  Hook  pilot  on  board.  The  companies  \vere  then  ad- 
vised by  the  supervising  steamboat  inspector,  of  New  York, 
that  their  certificates  for  the  vessels  did  not  permit  of  their 
sailing  by  the  way  of  Sandy  Hook,  and  that  put  a  stop  to  that 
route  being  used  in  the  emergency.  There  were  comparatively 
few  passengers,  but  a  large  amount  of  freight  had  accumulated 
at  both  terminals  for  transfer.  The  Sound  was  open  in  less 
than  a,  week  later.  In  the  winter  of  1852,  there  was  an  ice 
blockade  for  a  few  days. 

The  succeeding  company  was  the  Norwich  &  New  York 
Transportation  Company  that  was  organized  in  1860,  and  pro- 
moted through  the  influence  of  Capt.  Joseph  Comstock,  with 
the  Norwich  &  Worcester  R.  R.  Co.,  having  a  large  interest  in 
the  company,  with  some  New  York  capitalists.  In  1860,  they 
had  built  for  them  by  Samuel  Sneeden,  at  Greenpoint,  L.  I.\ 


NEW   LONDON  AND    NORWICH,    CONN.  333 

two  steamboats,  the  "City  of  Boston"  and  the  "City  of  New 
York,"  and  the  machinery  constructed  by  the  Novelty  Iron 
Works  from  designs  by  Charles  W.  Copeland,  engineer.  These 
boats  were  built  for  fast  passenger  service  for  the  through 
travel  to  the  East,  and,  when  new,  there  were  probably  none 
of  the  Long  Island  Sound  boats  that  were  able  to  excel  them 
in  speed,  unless  it  was  the  "Newport,"  of  the  Fall  River  line, 
that  had  a  much  larger  engine,  and  it  was  only  under  abnormal 
conditions  the  latter  could  have  done  it,  if  at  all. 

Some  time  after  the  "City  of  Boston"  was  placed  on  the 
route,  the  "Metropolis"  and  the  former  had  a  "brush"  as  far  as 
off  New  London,  with  the  odds  in  favor  of  the  "Boston."  With 
this  result,  those  in  the  interest  of  the  "Metropolis"  were  not 
satisfied,  as  it  was  attributed  to  poor  coal  under  the  boilers. 
That  was,  and  is  still  to  this  day,  an  old  "stand-by"  in  case  of 
defeat.  Not  long  after  having  been  supplied  with  a  stock  of 
selected  coal,  the  friends  of  the  "City  of  Boston"  were  given  to 
understand  from  a  quarter  that  admitted  of  no  doubt  of  the 
Fall  River  people's  desire  for  another  race,  and  that  they  did 
not  think  that  the  former  brush  could  be  repeated  with  the 
same  result.  So,  on  an  appointed  day  set  for  the  trial,  both 
started  out  from  New  York  on  their  regular  hour,  and  kept 
close  together  until  well  into  the  Sound,  and  it  was  nip  and 
tuck,  or  anybody's  race  for  several  miles.  After  they  had  got 
well  to  the 'eastward,  it  was  found  necessary  to  "slow  down" 
the  "Metropolis,"  as  the  strain  put  upon  the  engine  was  more 
than  it  should  bear,  and  prudence  dictated  that  course,  as 
found  later.  The  "City  of  Boston,"  of  course,  was  the  victor. 
That  was  the  last  time  the  "Metropolis"  was  put  under  the 
whip. 

The  "City  of  Boston"  again  showed  that  she  was  not  to  be 
trifled  with  by  the  large  Sound  boats.  On  July  4,  1865,  on  her 
trip  out  of  New  York  with  but  a  small  freight  list  and  but  few 
passengers,  left  her  dock  without  a  thought  on  the  part  of  her 
officers  to  break  the  record  until  she  was  about  off  Sands 
Point,  when  it  was  found  that  they  had  then  made  very  good 
time  to  that  point,  and  from  that  lighthouse  they  set  to  work 
to  see  what  time  they  could  make  to  New  London.  It  must  be 
here  remembered  that  every  condition  was  in  her  favor,  as  in 
all  cases  where  steamboats  make  fast  runs,  no  heavy  head 


334  NEW   LONDON  AND   NORWICH,    CONN. 

winds,  or  no  head  winds  at  all,  favorable  tides  and  light  loads. 
See  under  head  of  "High  Speed.'7 

In  1862,  the  company  added  to  the  line  the  "City  of  Nor- 
wich" and  the  "City  of  New  London/'  both  of  which  were  con- 
structed at  New  York.  They  were  smaller  than  the  two  other 
boats  of  the  company  and  were  used  for  freight  and  passengers, 
more  especially  for  the  former,  and  were  run  from  the  Norwich 
end  of  the  route,  while  the  "City  of  New  York"  and  the  "City 
of  Boston"  were  run  from  New  London.  On  April  18th,  1866, 
the  "City  of  Norwich"  was  run  into  by  schooner  "General  S. 
Van  Vliet"  when  off  Huntington  harbor,  took  fire  and  sunk,  by 
which  eleven  lives  were  lost.  She  was  afterwards  raised  and 
repaired  and  placed  on  the  route.  In  1894,  she  was  sold  and 
broken  up. 

In  1867,  the  company  had  built  for  them  by  the  Harlan  & 
Hollingsworth  Company,  "at  Wilmington,  Del.,  their  first  iron- 
hull  steamboat,  the  "City  of  Lawrence." 

She  was  designed  more  for  a  freight  boat,  but  has  large 
passenger  accommodations  for  a  vessel  of  her  size.  She  was 
mainly  employed  on  the  Norwich  route  for  many  years,  and 
proved  a  very  good  and  serviceable  vessel  for  the  company. 
On  November  22d,  1871,  the  "City  of  New  London"  was  totally 
destroyed  by  fire  'while  on  the  Thames  River,  about  three  miles 
below  Norwich,  by  which  seventeen  of  the  passengers  and  crew 
were  drowned. 

In  1881,  the  company  added  to  the  line  another  vessel 
built  for  them  by  Harlan  &  Hollingsworth  Company,  named 
the  "City  of  Worcester."  This  vessel  is  also  of  iron,  and  was 
the  first  of  the  large  passenger  boats  on  the  Sound  with  an 
iron  hull.  She  is  of  2,485  tons,  and  is  licensed  to  carry  742 
passengers.  There  are  193  staterooms  and  164  berths,  exclu- 
sive of  those  for  the  use  of  the  officers  and  crew  of  the  vessel. 
Since  she  has  been  on  the  route,  in  November,  1881,  the  vessel 
has  proved  a  very  stiff  and  able  vessel  in  heavy  weather.  There 
was  an  innovation  made  in  the  planning  of  this  vessel  upon 
all  previous  designs  of  Sound  boats,  and  that  was  in  having  a 
separate  gangway  for  passengers  from  the  freight  gangway 
aft  of  the  water  wheels,  whereby  the  passengers  may  pass  to 
and  fro  from  the  pier  to  the  vessel  without  being  incon- 
venienced by  the  passing  of  trucks  loaded  with  freight. 


NEW   LONDON  AND   NORWICH,    CONN.  335 

At  the  time  of  the  "City  of  Worcester's"  entry  on  the  New 
London  line,  in  1881,  the  "Massachusetts,"  of  the  Providence 
line,  was,  in  all  probability,  one  of  the  ablest  of  the  Long  Island 
Sound  boats.  During  the  spring  of  the  following  year,  there 
were  a  few  trials  of  speed  between  these  two  boats,  first  one 
and  then  the  other  gaining  an  advantage,  until  the  night  of 
July  4th,  1882,  when  they  had  a  decisive  trial  from  New  York 
to  the  east  end  of  the  Sound,  it  ending  with  the  "City  of  Wor- 
cester" making  better  time  by  23  minutes  than  the  "Massa- 
chusetts," which  settled  the  question  of  superiority  between 
these  two  boats.  Average  steam  carried  by  the  "City  of  Wor- 
cester" this  night  was  85  pounds,  with  IS1/^  average  revolutions 
of  her  wheels,  with  maximum  revolutions  during  one  hour, 
1,169.  Time  from  dock  to  dock,  6  hours  and  52  minutes.  Tide 
not  favorable;  wind  from  the  east  (head  wind)  blowing  strong. 
The  next  summer  the  "Pilgrim"  was  brought  out  for  the  Fall 
River  line,  and  as  these  two  vessels  were  on  the  same  nights 
running  in  the  same  direction,  they  were  soon  seeking  a 
close  companionship.  On  the  28th  of  August,  they  had  a 
friendly  test  of  speed,  resulting  in  the  "City  of  Worcester" 
beating  the  "Pilgrim"  from  off  Bartlett's  Keef  light  vessel  to 
Throggs  Point,  13  minutes.  Then,  on  September  29th,  they 
tried  it  again  to  Bartlett's  Reef  light  vessel,  and  the  "City  of 
Worcester"  beat  her  again  by  8  minutes.  These  trials  of  late 
years  are  all  made  within  the  limit  set  by  the  law,  and  rules 
and  regulations  of  the  steamboat  inspectors.  The  "City  of 
Worcester's"  best  time  was  made  on  June  27th,  1882,  from 
dock  to  dock,  in  6  hours  and  20  minutes,  leaving  New  York  at 
P.  M.  High  water  at  Governor's  Island,  5.05  P.  M.;  Hell  Gate, 
6.54  P.  M.  There  was  an  error  made  in  the  location  of  parts 
of  machinery  in  the  vessel  and  added  over  original  weights, 
that  has  caused  the  vessel  to  set  about  15  inches  by  the  head 
when  loaded. 

In  1894,  the  "City  ^  of  Lowell"  was  built  at  Bath,  Me.,  by 
the  Bath  Iron  Wrorks,  for  the  line.  This  vessel  has  proved  her- 
self to  be  a  good  staunch  vessel,  with  sufficient  power  to  hold 
her  own  with  the  ablest  of  the  Sound  steamers.  Her  best 
time  was  made  in  October,  1894,  and  her  performances  have 
been  of  too  recent  date  to  make  any  further  extended  mention 
of  than  is  contained  under  heading  of  "High  Speed." 


336  NEW   LONDON   AND    NORWICH,    CONN. 

There  have  been  no  steamboats  running  to  Norwich  since 
1895  or  1896. 

"The  City  of  Boston"  and  the  "City  of  New  York"  were 
taken  to  the  Bone  Yard,  at  Boston,  Mass.,  about  1896,  and 
broken  up. 

In  1844,  there  were  two  propellers  running  to  Norwich 
from  New  York,  carrying  passengers  and  freight,  named  the 
"Shetucket"  and  the  "Quinnebaug,"  they  being  120'x20'x7'8, 
and,  in  1845,  the  "Decatur,"  and,  in  1852,  the  "Charles  Osgood," 
the  two  latter  being  longer  and  about  four  feet  deeper  in  the 
hold.  They  run  here  for  several  years.  In  September,  1844, 
there  was  a  race  from  New  York  of  three  propellers  then  run- 
ning to  Norwich — the  "Eudora,"  that  subsequently  was  tem- 
porarily on  the  Fall  Kiver  line,  "the  Uneas,"  and  the  "Quinne- 
baug." This  was  at  the  time  of  the  rivalry  of  the  inventors  of 
the  different  types-  of  screw  propellers  that  were  just  coming 
into  use,  the  most  prominent  being  the  Ericcson  and  the 
Loper  wheel.  The  "Eudora"  and  the  "Uncas"  were  fitted  with 
the  Ericcson  wheel,  while  the  "Quinnebaug"  had  the  Loper 
wheel.  They  had  a  head  tide  most  of  the  distance,  with  a  fresh 
head  wind.  The  "Eudora"  left  New  York  at  4  P.  M.,  the  "Uncas" 
at  4.18  P.  M.,  and  the  "Quinnebaug"  at  4.31  P.  M.  The  latter 
passed  the  "Uncas"  in  the  East  Kiver  at  5.04,  and  the  "Eudora" 
at  Throggs  Point,  at  6.15  P.  M.,  and  arrived  at  New  London 
the  next  morning  at  7.50. .  Several  of  these  propellers  lasted 
long  enough  to  get  charters  as  transports  during  the  War  of 
the  Rebellion,  in  some  cases  for  a  year  or  more  at  a  time,  at 
from  |11 5  to  |150  a  day.  Six  or  eight  months'  charter  was 
more  than  any  one  of  them  were  worth  at  the  time. 

"Cleopatra,"  1836.— Hull,  Bishop  &  Simonson,  193'x23'x 
S'll;  beam  engine,  by  West  Point  Foundry,  44"xll'  stroke; 
water  wheels,  23'xll'6. 

"Knickerbocker,"  1843.— Hull,  by  Smith  &  Dimon,  291'6x 
31'6x9'6;  beam  engine,  from  steamboat  "DeWitt  Clinton,"  hav- 
ing cylinder  65"xlO'. 

'Worcester,"  1841.— Hull,  Bishop  &  Simonson,  219'x28'6x 
10';  beam  engine  of  4S"xll'. 

"Atlantic,"  1846.— Hull,  Bishop  &  Simonson,  320'x36'x 
9'10;  beam  engine,  72"xll'  stroke;  water  wheels,  36'x9'  face. 


NEW    HAVEN,   CONN.  337 

"Commonwealth,*7  1855.— Hull,  Lawrence  &  Foulks,  316'x 
41'6xl3'x8'3  draft ;  beam  engine,  by  Morgan  Iron  Works,  76"x 
12';  water  wheels,  38'  diameter  by  10'G. 

"City  of  Boston,"  I860.— Hull,  by  Samuel  Sueeden,  301'x 
40'xl2'3;  -beam  engine,  by  Novelty  Iron  Works,  80"xl2'  stroke; 
water  wheels,  37'8xl0'6;  two  return  tubular  boilers  on  the 
guards;  consumption  anthracite  coal  per  hour,  with  blowers, 
2%  tons. 

"City  of  New  London,"  1863.— Hull,  by  John  Englis  & 
Son,  219'x36'xl2'4;  beam  engine,  54"xll',  by  Allaire  Works; 
water  wheels,  31'  diameter  by  7'9. 

"City  of  Lawrence,"  1867.— Harlan  &  Hollingsworth  Com- 
pany. Hull,  243'x40'xll'9;  beam  engine,  65"xll'  stroke. 

"City  of  Worcester,"  1881.  Harlan  &  Hollingsworth  Com- 
pany. Hull,  328'x46'x:14'5;  beam  engine,  90"xl2'  stroke;  water 
wheels,  36'6xlO'  face;  three  Lobster-back  boilers;  consumption 
of  fuel,  32  tons  per  trip. 

"City  of  Lowell,"  1894.— Bath  Iron  Works.  Hull,  319'x 
49'6xl7'7;  two  triple-expansion  engines,  each  having  cylinders 
of  26"  and  40"  and  64"x36"  stroke. 


NEW  HAVEN,  CONN. 

In  1813,  Cadwallader  Colden,  an  intimate  friend  and  sup- 
porter of  Fulton  and  Livingston  in  their  monopoly,  with  a  few 
others,  made  a  contract  with  Adam  &  Noah  Brown  for  the 
construction  of  the  hull  of  the  steamboat  "Fulton,"  that  was 
built  from  plans  of  Robert  Fulton  and  under  the  supervision 
of  Capt.  E.  S.  Bunker.  The  vessel  was  133  feet  long,  and  was 
fitted  with  one  of  the  saw-mill  type  of  engines.  The  hull  of 
this  vessel  was  the  first  steam  vessel  that  had,  as  yet,  been 
built  with  any  "dead  rise"  to  the  floors.  All  the  steam  vessels 
that  had  been  constructed  up  to  this  time  were  for  river  navi- 
gation, but  this  vessel,  being  intended  for  a  route  that  was 
more  open  to  heavy  weather,  the  hull  was  built  of  more  than 
ordinary  strength.  She  cost  $87,000,  and  the  copper  boiler 
over  |30,000.  The  vessel  was  completed  ready  for  work  in 
April,  1814,  but  the  activity  of  the  British  naval  vessels  at 


338  NEW   HAVEN,   CONN. 

that  time  off  the  east  end  of  Long  Island  Sound,  the  United 
States  and  Great  Britain  being  then  at  war,  was  sufficient  to 
postpone  the  opening  of  the  new  line  to  New  Haven.  The  ves- 
sel was  run  on  the  Hudson  Eiver  to  Albany  during  the  season 
of  1814  on  the  Fulton  line.  Her  accommodations  were  no 
greater  than  for  sixty  persons,  and  while  she  was  to  make 
the  trip  to  Albany  in  13  or  14  hours,  she  never  seemed  to  do 
better  than  16  to  17  hours.  The  fare  was  $10,  of  which  $3.00 
was  the  royalty  due  to  Fulton  &  Livingston. 

Vlt  was  not  until  March  21st,  1815,  that  this  vessel  was 
placed  on  the  route  to  New  Haven.  For  some  weeks,  prior  to 
this  trip,  the  people  in  the  towns  along  the  Sound  had  been 
kept  in  a  state  of  nervous  anxiety  in  expectation  of  the  arrival 
of  a  boat  "coming  from  New  York  on  wheels,"  and,  as  might 
be  expected  on  the  day  of  her  anticipated  arrival,  there  was 
considerable  excitement  in  the  town  of  New  Haven.  She  left 
New  York  on  the  morning  of  March  21st,  1815,  with  thirty 
passengers,  and  arrived  at  her  destination  in  11  hours,  this 
being  the  first  trip  made  by  a  steam  vessel  from  New  York 
through  Hell  Gate.  Her  trips  wrere  usually  made  in  from  8  to 
12  hours,  according  to  the  wind  and  tide.  It  was  considered 
to  be  impossible  for  a  vessel  driven  by  steam  power,  previous 
to  this  trip  of  the  "Fulton,"  to  stem  the  current  of  Hell  Gate 
when  the  tide  was  running  strong. 

This  vessel  commenced  running  regularly  at  once  between 
New  York  and  New  Haven,  making  two  trips,  a  week,  and  in 
the  following  June  increased  them  to  three  trips  a  week,  with 
the  passenger  fare  at  $6.00  a  trip.^She  was  commanded  by 
Capt.  E.  S.  Bunker,  who  superintended  her  construction,  and 
continued  on  this  route,  except  during  the  winter  months, 
when  she  was  placed  out  of  commission  until\March,  1818, 
when  the  "Connecticut,"  a  new  boat,  was  brought  out  in  the 
same  interest  and  put  on  the  route  between  New  York  and 
New  Haven,  while  the  "Fulton"  was  run  from  New  Haven  to 
Norwich,  there  making  connections  with  the  stages  from  New 
England,  thus  forming  a  through  line  from  New  York  to  Bos- 
ton and  the  east.  It  was  not  thought  to  be  prudent  to  run  a 
steamboat  from  New  York  to  such  a  distant  point  on  the 
Sound  as  New  London,  or  Norwich,  Conn.,  at  this  time,  so  it 
was  done  by  forming  two  lines.  The  "Connecticut"  was  a 


NEW   HAVEN,    CONN.  339 

somewhat  larger  boat  than  the  "Fulton,"  with  the  same  type 
of  engine.  Both  of  these  vessels  had  engines  that  were  fitted 
with  the  gearing  peculiar  to  Robert  Fulton's  engines,  and 
made  noise  sufficient,  when  in  motion,  to  destroy  the  peace  and 
comfort  of  those  who  traveled  in  them.  A  peculiarity  of  these 
engines  were  the  uncoupling  of  their  shafts,  by  which  they 
could  use  their  wheels  or  not  at  pleasure,  as  when  working 
the  engine  at  the  dock  before  leaving.  Neither  of  these  boats 
had  any  state  rooms,  saloons,  or  hurricane  deck.  The  "Fulton" 
was  painted  black,  while  the  "Connecticut"  was  painted  white. 
They  were  not  able  to  carry  but  a  small  quantity  of  freight, 
as  the  wood  necessary  for  fuel  for  the  boilers  occupied  so 
much  space  that  there  was  but  little  room  left  for  freight. 

These  two  boats  run,  as  stated  before,  until  May  27th, 
1822,  when  they  were  prevented  from  running  to  any  point 
in  the  State  of  Connecticut  by  the  passage  of  what  was  known 
as  the  "Retaliatory  law,"  which  prevented  any  steam  vessel 
running  in  the  waters  of  the  State  of  Connecticut,  which  were 
operated  in  the  interests  of,  or  under  the  monopoly  of  Fulton 
&  Livingston,  as  granted  to  them  by  the  legislature  of  New 
York  State.  No  doubt  but  that  this  measure  had  some  con- 
nection with  the  suit  that  was  brought  by  Aaron  Ogden,  of 
Elizabethtown,  N.  J.,  against  Thomas  Gibbons,  of  the  same 
place,  to  prevent  the  latter  running  a  line  of  steamboats  to 
New  York  from  the  former  place,  in  opposition  to  those  run 
by  Ogden,  under  the  protection  of  the  monopoly.  This  suit 
was  brought  in  New  York  by  an  injunction  restraining  Gib- 
bons, from  running  in  the  waters  of  that  State,  and  this  was 
granted.  This  was  at  the  same  time  as  the  State  of  Connecti- 
cut passed  the  "Retaliatory  law."  The  "Fulton"  and  the 
"Connecticut"  were  then  placed  on  the  New  York  and  Provi- 
dence route.  Not  entertaining  any  idea  of  being  "frozen  out" 
of  Connecticut  business  by  the 'retaliatory  laws,  the.  owners 
of  the  "Fulton,"  in  1822,  put  on  a  line  of  packets  from  New 
Haven,  Conn.,  to  Oyster  Bay,  Long  Island,  where  the  sailing 
vessels  met  the  steamboat  "Enterprise"  and  transferred  their 
passengers,  who  were  brought  to  New  York  by  the  steamboat. 

Thomas  Gibbons,  in  1821,  began  the  building  in  New 
Jersey  of  the  "United  States,"  which  was  140  feet  long,  and 
fitted  with  a  "square"  engine  by  James  P.  Allaire,  of  New 


340  NEW   HAVEN,    CONN. 

York.  She  was  sold  to  New  York  parties  before  completion, 
and  placed  on  the  New  York  &  Albany  route  as  a  day  boat,  in 
the  spring  of  1822,  but  those  interested  in  the  monopoly  pro- 
cured an  injunction  which  prevented  her  running  there  any 
longer,  and  during  the  month  of  November,  1822,  was  pur- 
chased by  New  Haven  parties,  who  were  formerly  owners  in  a 
line  of  sailing  vessels,  and  were  known  as  the  New  Haven 
Steamboat  Company.  In  the  following  spring  she  was  pre- 
pared to  be  taken  to  New  Haven,  where  she  was  owned,  but 
as  she  was  not  permitted  to  pass  through  the  waters  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  under  her  own  steam,  it  became  necessary 
to  have  her  towed  by  a  sailing  vessel,  the  sloop  "Huntress" 
performing  that  duty,  into  the  waters  of  the  State  of  Connecti- 
cut. It  is  on  record  that  the  passage  up  the  East  River  was 
of  a  very  exciting  nature.  As  the  "United  States,"  in  tow  of 
the  "Huntress,"  came  into  the  river,  some  of  the  steamboats, 
all  of  which  at  this  time  in  NewT  York  waters  were  run  under 
Fulton  &  Livingston's  privilege,  lying  at  the  piers  in  New  York 
City,  came  out  into  the  stream,  and  followed  up  the  two  ves- 
sels until  they  got  into  "Hell  Gate,"  where  they  endeavored 
by  all  tjie  obstacles  they  could  possibly  put  in  their  way  to  get 
the  steamboat  ashore,  "But  in  this  they  were  not  successful, 
as  with  a  fresh  breeze  blowing  from  the  southward  the  sailing 
vessel  was  able  to  get  safely  through  the  dangerous  and 
treacherous  currents  of  that  locality  with  her  tow.  The 
"United  States"vhad  steam  on  her  boiler,  ready  when  she  ar- 
rived in  the  waters  of  Long  Island  Sound,  and  in  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  the  State  of  Connecticut,  to  use  her  own  power.  This 
she  did,  and  taking  the  sloop  in  tow,  steamed  away  for  New 
Haven,  where  she  arrived  the  same  night.  This  vessel  cost, 
complete,  with  furniture  and  equipment,  a  little  over  $22,000. 
In  June  following,  she  commenced  running  on  a  regular 
route  between  Isew  Haven  and  Byram  Cove,  Conn.,  which  was 
as  near  New  York  City  as  she  could  go  by  the  prohibitory 
laws  of  the  State  of  New  York,  from  which  point,  about 
twenty-five  miles  from  New  York  City,  it  was  necessary  to 
take  the  stage  to  the  latter  city.  This  service  was  continued 
until  the  United  States  Supreme  Court  decided  in  the  case  of 
Gibbons  and  Pgden,  in  1824,  that  the  acts  of  the  New  York 
legislature,  giving  Fulton  &  Livingston  the  exclusive  privilege 


NEW   HAVEN,   CONN.  341 

of  steam  navigation  in  the  waters  of  that  State,  were  unconsti- 
tutional, when  she  was  placed  on  the  route  between  New  York 
and  New  Haven,  landing  at  Maiden  Lane  in  the  former  city. 
Passengers  traveling  by  steamboats  previous  to  this  period 
were  "way-billed,"  but  the  system  of  passenger  tickets  was 
first  brought  into  use  on  the  "United  States."  This  vessel  had 
no  pilot  house,  but  a  kind  of  protection  from  the  weather  was 
rigged  up  for  the  benefit  of  the  pilot  during  the  performance 
of  his  duties.  ^f^L^f 

y'ln  April,  of  the  same  yea/,  the  "Fulton"  and  the  "Connecti- 
cut," which  had  been  prohibited  from  running  in  the  waters 
of  the  State  in  1822,  were  started  as  an  opposition  line  to  the 
"United  States"  from  New  York  to  New  Haven  by  the 
"Connecticut,"  while  the  "Fulton"  connected  with  the  latter  at 
New  Haven  and  run  to  New  London.  This  opposition  con- 
tinued but  a  few  months  when  they  were  withdrawn.  After 
the  withdrawal  of  these  boats  the  "LTnited  States"  continued 
to  run  until  the  winter,  when  she  was  laid  up.Xln  December, 
of  this  year  (1824),  the  "Linnaeus,"  then  a  new  boat,  but  a  small 
one,  with  one  of  Allaire's  "square''  engines,  and  belonging  to 
Jonathan  Peck,  was  put  on  as  a  winter  boat,  which  action  in- 
duced the  New  Haven  Company  to  put  on  the  "United  States" 
for  winter  service  also.  In  the  spring  of  the  next  year  the 
latter  company  purchased  a  boat  named  the  "Hudson,"  built 
for  John  Livingston,  of  New  York,  and  then  commenced  to 
run  a  daily  line.  About  this  time  the  "Providence,"  known  as 
the  "Little  Providence,"  a  boat  of  less  than  100  feet  in  length, 
was  put  on  as  an  opposition,  but  after  a  short  time  was  pur- 
chased by  the  old  company  and  run  on  the  line  with  the  other 
boats,  and  was  commanded  by  Capt.  Memenon  Sanford  a  por- 
tion of  the  time.  In  1831,  they  sold  the  "United  "States,"  hav- 
ing a  short  time  previous  bought  the  "Superior,"  built  at  New 
York  in  1830.  This  boat  performed  651  trips  to  and  from  New 
Haven  without  the  loss  of  a  trip.  In  1832,  the  "Splendid"  was 
built  for  the  company  to  run  with  the  "Superior,"  the  former 
being  the  larger  of  the  two  boats.  They  were  thought  at  this 
time  to  be  the  finest  boats  on  the  Sound,  running  as  day  boats, 
leaving  New  York  at  6  A.  M.,  and  New  Haven  at  1  P.  M.  They 
continued  to  run  until  the  "Superior"  was  sold,  about  1835, 
for  Hudson  River  service. 


342  NEW   HAVEN,   CONN". 

In  1835,  the  company  had  built  for  them  by  Lawrence  & 
Sneeden,  of  New  York,  another  boat  for  the  line  that  was 
named  "New  Haven/'  Her  propelling  power  was  a  beam  en- 
gine that  was  the  first  of  that  type  in  their  boats.  The  "New 
Haven"  could  always  be  identified  by  her  working  beam,  as  it 
was  not  a  beauty  in  design.  ,  In  1836,  another  boat  was  built 
for  the  line  and  named  "New  York."  This  one  was  much 
larger  than  any  of  its  predecessors  and  had  a  "square"  engine. 
The  "Splendid"  was  now  kept  foy  the  spare  boat  of  the  line. 
K  The  passenger  fare  had,  at  this  time,  been  reduced  to  f 2.00  to 
New  York,  as  Vanderbilt  appeared  to  have  an  interest  in  the 
town.  Previous  to  1835,  the  mails  had  been  carried  but  six 
days  during  the  week,  but  after  building  the  "New  York"  the 
two  boats  carried  the  mails  alternately  on  Sunday,  that  was 


much  against  the  wishes  of  the  company,  as  they  did  not  de- 
sire to  run  their  boats  on  that  day,  but  the  Postoffice  Depart- 
ment, at  Washington,  demanded  it,  and  for  a  time  there  was 
considerable  friction  on  the  subject!*  At  a  later  period,  when 
Vanderbilt  had  control  of  the  route,  he  wanted  the  compensa- 
tion for  carrying  the  mail  increased,  but  the  department  re- 
fused, and  he  stopped  its  carriage..  He  was  at  the  depart- 
ment's service  again  in  a  few  weeks. 

The  company  continued  to  do  a  very  large  business  until 
March  22d,  1839,  when  they  met  with  their  first  serious  loss 
by  the  burning  of  the  "New  York"  while  lying  at  New  Haven. 
A  short  time  after  this  misfortune  they  sold  their  steamboat 
property  to  Cornelius  Vanderbilt  and  the  Connecticut  Steam- 
boat Company,  the  latter  being  the  New  York  &  Hartford 


NEW   HAVEN,   CONN.  3-13 

line  that  had  owned  the  "Oliver  Ellsworth,"  "New  England,'' 
uMcDonough,"  and  "Globe,"  and  the  "Bunker  Hill"  and  the 
•'Charter  Oak."  The  old  company  then  retired  from  active 
business  until  a  later  period.  The  business  of  the  route  was 
now  in  the  hands  of  Vanderbilt  and  Sanford,  and  it  was  from 
this  that  the  opposition  developed  later. 

Cornelius  Vanderbilt  now  put  the  "New  Haven"  in  com 
mission  again,  and  to  run  with  her  while  the  "New  York"  was 
rebuilding,  placed  on  the  route  an  old  boat  that  had  seen  much 
service  on  the  Staten  Island  &  New  York  ferry,  named  thf 
•'Bolivar,"  that  was  about  120  feet  long,  and  with  a  speed 
that  it  is  not  known  how  she  ever  got  through  Hell  Gate  on 
an  adverse  tide.  To  judge  how  fast  she  was  when  under  way, 
and  it  was  a  fact  generally  known  in  steamboat  circles  at  that 
time,  that  a  resident  of  New  Haven  made  a  bet  that  he  could 
drive  to  New  York  quicker  than  the  "Bolivar"  could  make 
the  trip  between  New  Haven  and  New  York.  The  matter 
was  agreed  upon,  and  one  day  he  started  at  the  same  time 
the  "Bolivar"  left  the  dock  at  New  Haven,  and  he  was  on  the 
pier  in  New  York  just  before  her  arrival. 

In  June,  1841,  the  Citizens'  line  was  started  as  an  opposi 
tion,  they  putting  on  the  "Telegraph"  that  had  been  running 
on  the  lower  Hudson  Kiver,  and  in  the  next  month  the  "Belle,'1 
owned  by  Capt.  Curtis  Peck,  and  that  had  been  on  the  Hudson, 
also  was  added  to  the  opposition  by  the  citizens  of  New 
Haven,  who  were  much  dissatisfied  with  the  accommodations 
offered  them  by  Vanderbilt's  boats  then  on  the  route.  Vander- 
bilt now  withdrew  the  "Bolivar"  and  kept  on  the  "New 
Haven"  to  run  with  the  "New  York"  that  now  belonged  to  the 
Connecticut  Steamboat  Company.  There  was  considerable  life 
to  be  found,  at  times,  on  the  route  between  the  two  lines  until 
November,  1842,  when  the  owners  of  the  "Belle"  consolidated 
with  the  Connecticut  Steamboat  Company,  having  the  "New 
York"  and  the  "Globe."  This  was  the  dissolution  of  the  inter- 
est between  Vanderbilt  and  Sanford.  During  this  competition 
the  passenger  fares  of  the  old  line  were  as  changeable  as  the 
weather,  varying  from  121/?  cents  to  50  cents,  or  as  the  silver 
currency  of  the  country  was  at  that  date,  one  shilling  to  four 
shillings  on  different  days,  according  to  circumstances.  The 
"Belle"  was  the  popular  boat,  taking  most  of  the  freight,  and 


NEW   HAVEN,   CONN.  345 

the  larger  part  of  the  passengers  with  a  uniform  fare  of  $1.00. 
The  fare  on  the  "Telegraph"  was  50  cents.  Shortly  after  she 
went  on  the  Providence  route  as  an  opposition  boat. 

The  "Traveler''  was  built  for  C.  Vanderbilt,  in  1845;  and 
run  to  New  Haven  for  many  years.  At  this  time  she 
was  much  above  the  average  speed  of  Sound  boats,  and 
was  very  popular  with  the  traveling  public.  She  run  as  a  da}7 
boat,  carrying  the  mail  until  the  line  was  withdrawn  in  fall  of 
1849,  by  agreement  with  the  New  York  &  New  Haven  R.  R.  Co., 
who  paid  $20,000  per  annum  for  five  years  for  closing  up 
the  day  line.  Occasionally,  a  fine  boat  would  be  put  on  the 
day  line  during  this  period,  but  she  never  remained  more  than 
a  few  months. 

In  the  spring  of  1848,  the  "Commodore,"  which  was  then 
a  new  boat,  was  entered  on  the  day  route  by  C.  Vander- 
bilt for  the  Hartford  &  New  Haven  R.  R.  Co.,  and,  in  January, 
1849,  was  withdrawn  and  shortly  after  was  the  property  of  the 
Stonington  line,  and  in  their  service. 

At  the  same  time  the  "Connecticut,"  which  was  then  a  new 
boat,  built  for  Capt.  Curtis  Peck,  was  placed  on  the  route  in 
the  interests  of  the  Connecticut  Steamboat  Company.  This 
vessel  run  but  a  few  months  to  New  Haven,  was  then  with- 
drawn, and  placed  on  the  Stonington  route  for  a  few  weeks, 
and  then  went  back  to  the  New  Haven  route  until  January, 
1849,  a  portion  of  the  time  as  a  night  boat.  The  vessel  was 
afterwards  sold,  which  dissolved  the  company,  and  she  was 
placed  on  the  Norwich  route  where  she  remained  many  years. 
She  was  subsequently  in  use  towing  canal  boats  on  the  Hud- 
son River.  She  has  been  credited  with  making  the  run  from 
New  Haven  dock  to  New  York  dock  in  4  hours,  but  this  is  al- 
together unlikely.  The  channel  from  the  mouth  of  the  har- 
bor to  the  dock  in  New  Haven  in  those  days  was  not  under 
normal  conditions,  such  as  to  permit  a  large  vessel  to  make 
very  fast  time.  Probably  to  the  mouth  of  the  harbor  the  time 
was  made.  She  was  the  largest  of  the  four  or  five  boats  on  the 
Sound,  having  beam  engines  with  the  shaft  forward  of  the 
cylinder. 

The  "Cataline"  was  chartered  in  the  spring  and  summer 
of  1850,  and  was  run  as  a  night  boat,  and  continued  until  the 
fall  of  that  year,  when  she  was  withdrawn.  This  vessel  was 


34G  NEW    HAVEN,    CONK. 

only  184  feet  long  and  about  6  years  old,  and  not  the  finest 
boat  that  run  to  New  Haven. 

In  November  of  1850,  Chester  Chapin,  of  Springfield, 
Mass.,  purchased  the  "Traveler"  and  the  "Champion"  from  C. 
Vanderbilt  (or  the  New  Haven  &  Hartford  E.  E.  Co.),  who  was 
now  busily  engaged  with  his  coastwise  line,  and  ran  the  for- 
mer as  a  night  boat  between  New  York  and  New  Haven,  and 
the  latter  from  New  Haven  to  Hartford  for  a  few  years.  At 
this  time  the  "Traveler"  was  the  only  night  boat,  and  a  day 
boat  could  not  be  run  by  the  interests  on  account  of  the  agree- 
ment with  the  New  York  &  New  Haven  E.  E.  Co.  The  old 
company  had  now  begun  operations  again  on  the  route. 

In  1850,  the  "Elm  City"  was  built  for  the  New  Haven 
Steamboat  Company,  and  was  put  in  commission  as  a  night 
boat  with  the  "Traveler,"  and,  in  1861,  the  "Continental"  was 
constructed  for  the  line,  and  at  that  time  was  the  largest  boat 
the  company  had  ever  had,  and  it  is  generally  considered  the 
faistest  of  the  side-wheel  boats  of  the  line  at  any  perjiod. 
The  "Traveler"  was  now  used  as  a  spare  boat,  and  the  line 
was  run  by  the  "Continental"  as  the  day  boat  from  New  York, 
and  the  "Elm  City"  as  the  night  boat.  In  1873,  the  "C.  H. 
Northam"  was  built  for  the  company,  and  in  June  of  that 
year  was  placed  in  service  as  the  day  boat,  with  the  "Conti- 
nental," which  service  they  continued  until  November  4th, 
1877,  when  the  "Northam"  was  laid  up  for  repairs,  and  on  the 
27th  of  November  was  burned  to  the  water's  edge  while  lying 
at  her  dock  for  repairs  to  her  machinery.  She  was  subse- 
quently rebuilt,  and  many  improvements  added  over  her  origi- 
nal construction,  with  increased  passenger  accommodations. 
She  appears  to  have  been  an  unfortunate  vessel  to  an  extent, 
for  on  December  27th,  1881,  she  run  on  the  rocks  off  Blackwells 
Island  during  a  dense  fog,  and  on  August  5th,  1898,  when  the 
crank-pin  of  her  engine  "let  go,"  and  the  whole  main  part  of 
her  engine  was  a  wreck.  It  was  rebuilt,  and  she  has  done  ser- 
vice mainly  since  then  as  a  spare  boat. 

The  first  departure  from  their  wooden  hull  side-wheel 
boats  was  made  by  the  company  in  1892,  when  the  steel  hull 
twin-screw  propeller  "Eichard  Peck"  was  built  at  Wilmington, 
Del.  The  vessel  has  proved  herself  to  be  well  adapted  for  the 
route,  is  well  patronized  by  the  traveling  public,  and  has  de- 


NEW    HAVEN,    CONN.  347 

veloped  high  speed  under  favorable  conditions,  though  not  as 
"Flyer  of  the  Sound." 

In  June,  1809,  the  company  established  a  new  line  called 
the  "Narragansett  Bay  Line,"  by  extending  the  route  of  their 
New  Haven  boats  from  that  city  to  Providence,  R.  I.  This  line 
was  operated  at  first  by  the  "Richard  Peck"  and  "Shinnecock," 
and  later  the  "Lincoln,'  'the  two  latter  chartered  vessels,  as  the 
"C.  H.  Northern"  had  been  in  collision  with  the  "Richard  Peck" 
about  a  week  before  the  opening  of  the  line.  The  "C.  H.  North- 
am"  was  in  service  later  in  the  season  to  late  in  December, 
when  the  "Chester  W.  Chapin,"  a  duplicate  in  all  essentials  of 
the  "Richard  Peck,"  was  completed  and  took  the  place  of  the 
"C.  H.  Northam."  In  May,  1900,  the  New  Haven  line  passed 
under  the  control  of  the  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford 
R.  R.  Co.  Since  then  they  have  not  run  a  night  passenger  boat 
from  New  York  during  the  winter  season.  In  February,  1903, 
the  New  York  terminal  of  the  New  Haven  line  was  changed 
from  Peck  Slip,  on  the  East  River,  where  they  had  been  so 
many  years,  to  Pier  40,  North  River. 

Starin's  New  Haven  line  was  permanently  established  in 
1882,  although  the  "J.  H.  Starin"  had  run  for  one  season  in 
1880,  from  New  York  to  Shelter  Island,  stopping  at  New 
Haven,  Conn.  This  vessel  and  the  propeller  "Erastus  Corn- 
ing" were  the  early  boats  on  the  line,  and  are  still  in  the  same 
service. 

The  New  Haven  Steamboat  Company  was  organized  in 
November,  1821,  and  composed  of  those  who  had  been  share- 
holders in  the  packet  company,  running  between  New  York 
and  New  Haven,  and  was  the  nucleus  of  the  above  named 
company.  They  continued  to  run  their  boats  until  the  "New 
York"  was  burned,  when  they  sold  out  their  line.  Between 
this  date,  and  when  they  resumed  active  operations  on  the 
route  again  in  1850,  the  shareholders  held  their  annual  meet- 
ings to  preserve  their  charter,  and  regularly  elected  their  com- 
pany officers.  Since  the  latter  date,  this  company  had  been 
the  only  one  that  run  a  line  to  New  Haven  until  a  line  of  pro- 
pellers, in  1866,  began  running,  the  "New  Haven"  and  "North- 
ampton." They  run  for  some  few  years  and  were  finally  bought 
up  by  the  New  Haven  Steamboat  Company. 


348  NEW   HAVEN,    CONN. 

Prior  to  1870,  New  Haven  harbor  does  not  appear  to  have 
had  any  improvements  made  for  its  navigation  further  than 
the  local  interests  made  by  occasional  dredging.  The  earliest 
record  is  of  a  survey  made  in  1846  that  gave  a  depth  in  the 
channel  of  7%  feet  at  mean  low  water,  and  this  was  the  con- 
dition found  at  the  time  of  the  commencement  of  the  work  on 
Middle  Rock,  at  the  mouth  of  the  harbor,  in  1870.  The  United 
States  Government  tried  to  remove  part  of  this  rock  by  sur- 
face blasting,  in  1852  and  1853,  but  found  it  did  not  pay  to 
use  that  means  of  removal.  In  1871,  the  general  government 
began  dredging  operations  in  the  harbor,  from  Long  Island 
Sound  to  the  head  of  the  harbor,  with  the  result  of  a  least 
depth  of  12%  feet.  Since  then  dredging  has  been  very  frequent 
in  the  harbor,  so  as  to  maintain  a  channel  across  the  Fort  Hale 
bar  having  a  depth  of  16  feet,  In  1882,  a  dike  was  commenced, 
at  Sandy  Point,  opposite  Fort  Hale  bar,  with  the  purpose  to 
contract  the  channel  at  this  point  so  as  to  produce  a  greater 
scour  over  the  bar.  The  breakwaters  at  the  mouth  of  the  har- 
bor were  the  first  large  .permanent  improvements  made,  two  of 
them  having  for  their  bases  rocks  that  had  been  at  one  time  a 
serious  menace  to  the  vessels  entering  the  harbor.  It  was  at 
one  time  the  intention  to  remove  sufficient  of  these  rocks  to 
give  about  18  feet  clear  at  low  water.  The  Southwest  ledge 
breakwater  was  completed  about  1888,  the  Luddington  Rock 
breakwater  about  1894,  and  the  West  breakwater  is  now  nearly 
finished.  Operations  have  been  in  progress  during  the  last 
three  years  to  maintain  a  channel  about  80  feet  in  width,  and^ 
20  feet  deep  across  Fort  Hale  bar,  and  from  this  bar  to  the 
Canal  dock,  a  channel  18  to  20  feet  deep  and  400  feet  wide, 
but  it  is  not  safe  at  low  water  for  a  vessel  drawing  over  15  feet. 
The  increased  size  of  passenger  steamers  running  here  in  the 
last  eight  years  has  made  a  demand  for  greater  depth  of  water 
in  the  channel  of  the  harbor. 

The  light  in  the  lighthouse  on  Five-Mile  Point,  east  side 
of  entrance  to  New  Haven  harbor,  was  discontinued  on  Jan- 
uary 1st,  1877,  and  on  the  same  date  the  light  located  on  South- 
west ledge  entrance  to  the  harbor  was  lighted  for  the  first 
time.  Was  about  four  years  building  the  latter  lighthouse  on 
account  of  its  exposed  situation. 


NEW   HAVEN,    CONN.  349 

"Hudson,"  1826.— Hull,  by  Brown  &  Bell,  108'x23'x6'5; 
square  engine,  24"xC/  stroke. 

"Superior,"  1830.— Hull,  by  Smith,  Dimon  &  Comstock, 
130'x21'x7'6;  square  engine,  36"x8'  stroke. 

"Splendid,"  1832.  Hull,  by  Smith,  Dimon  &  Comstock, 
130'x21'6x8';  square  engine,  37"x7'  stroke. 

"New  Haven,"  1835.— Hull,  by  Lawrence  &  Sneeden,  178'x 
22'8x9';  beam  engine,  by  the  Allaire  Works,  47"xlO'. 

"New  York,"  1836.— Hull,  by  Lawrence  &  Sneeden,  212'x 
22'10xlO'x5'  draft  loaded;  square  engine,  50"xlO'  stroke; 
water  wheels,  24'xll'  face. 

"Traveler,"  1845.— Hull,  by  Bishop  &  Simonson,  225'x29'x 
9'6;  beam  engine,  by  Allaire  Works,  52"xll'  stroke;  water 
wheels,  29'3x8';  two  iron  boilers;  average  pressure  of  steam, 
30  Ibs. 

"Connecticut,"  1848.— Hull,  300'x37'xlO'6x7'  draft;  beam 
engine,  72"xl2'  stroke. 

"Elm  City,"  1856.  Hull,  by  Samuel  Sneeden,  280'x35'xll'; 
beam  engine,  by  Neptune  Iron  Works,  65"xl2'  stroke,  and 
water  wheels,  34'6x9'  feet  face. 

"Continental,"  1861.— Hull,  by  Samuel  Sneeden,  282'6x 
35'8xll'5;  beam  engine,  by  Morgan  Iron  Works,  70"xll'  stroke; 
water  wheels,  34'  diameter. 

"C.  H.  Northaru,"  1873.— Hull,  by  John  Englis  &  Son,  312' 
x44'x!4';  beam  engine,  from  Lake  Erie  Steamboat,  rebuilt 
and  erected  on  board  by  Quintard  Iron  Works,  with  cylinder 
80"  diameter  by  12'  stroke. 

"Richard  Peck,"  .1892.— Hull  and  machinery  by  Harlan  & 
Hollingsworth  Company,  303'x48'xl7'8;  two  triple-expansion 
engines,  each  with  cylinders  24"  and  38"  and  60"  by  30" 
stroke;  twin  screws. 

"Chester  W.  Chapin,"  1899.— Hull  anl  machinery  by 
Maryland  Steel  Works,  at  Sparrows  Point,  Maryland;  hull, 
312'x48'x64'  over  all  x  16'9;  twg  triple-expansion  engines, 
with  cylinders,  each  24"  and  38"  and  60"  by  30"  stroke. 

"New  Haven"  and  "Northampton,"  1866.— Propellers;  hull, 
160'x30'xlO'  by  8'  draft;  one  condensing  engine,  34"x38". 


350  HARTFORD,    CONN. 

HARTFORD,  CONN. 

^Tust  after  the  embargo  on  steam  navigation,  in  the  State 
of  New  York,  had  'been  raised  by  the  decision  of  the  IT.  S. 
Supreme  Court,  in  1824,  the  Connecticut  River  Steamboat 
Company  had  built  for  them  by  Webb  &  Allen,  of  New  York, 
the  "Oliver  Ellsworth,"  a  boat  of  227  tons  that  was  the  first 
to  run  between  Hartford  and  New  York.  When  about  three 
years  old  and  on  a  trip  from  Hartford  to  New  York  and  near 
the  mouth  of  the  river,  her  boiler  exploded,  by  which  occur- 
rence three  lives  were  lost  by  scalding.  In  1826,  the  "Mc- 
Donough,"  of  313  tons,  was  built  for  the  line,  and  a  short  time 
after  the  "Globe"  was  added.  In  1833,  the  old  boats  proving 
too  small  for  the  business/  the  "New  England"  was  built  at 
New  York.y  On  October  9th,  of  same  year,  when  opposite 
Essex  landing,  both  of  her  boilers  exploded  at  about  the  same 
time,  causing  the  death  of  fifteen  persons  and  badly  scalding 
about  ten  more.  This  explosion  was  the  subject  of  an  investi- 
gation by  a  board  of  experts  and  engineers  for  the  Steamboat 
company,  composed  of  Professors  Silliman  and  Olmstead,  of 
Yale  College;  W.  C.  Redfield,  superintending  engineer  of  the 
Steam  Navigation  Company,  of  New  York;  Daniel  Copeland, 
of  Hartford,  Conn.,  engineer  and  builder  of  steam  engines, 
father  of  the  late  Charles  W.  Copeland,  engineer,  of  New  York 
City;  and  John  W.  Lawson,  engineer  of  the  steamboat  "Chief 
Justice  Marshall."  They  gave  the  subject  a  very  exhaustive 
examination,  and  made  a  report  which  was  published  at  the 
time  that  received  a  great  deal  of  attention  from  those  inter- 
ested in  steam  navigation.  The  "New  England,"  shortly  after 
this  explosion  of  her  boilers  was  repaired,  and  run  during  1834 
under  Capt.  Menienon  Sanford,  and  was  then  sold  to  parties 
who  put  her  on  the  coast  of  Maine  route. 

In  1835,  the  same  company  had  built,  at  New  Haven,  Conn., 
the  "Bunker  Hill,"  of  356  tons,  and,  in  1838,  the  "Charter  Oak," 
of  440  tons,  for  the  Hartford  route.  In  1836,  the  "Cleopatra" 
was  built  for  Cornelius  Vanderbilt  for  the  same  route.  The 
engine  of  this  vessel  was  set  in  the  hull  similar  to  many  of 
those  on  the  Hudson  River,  with  the  shaft  forward  of  the 
cylinder.  The  "Charter  Oak"  was  a  very  able  boat  for  her  day, 
and  during  the  period  of  the  competition  between  Vanderbilt 


HARTFORD,    COXN.  351  ' 

and  Stanford  on  the  route,  which  was  at  times  pretty  sharp, 
was  able  to  hold  her  own.  With  Capt.  Jacob  Vanderbilt  on 
one  side,  and  Capt..  Mem.  Sanford  on  the  other  side,  what 
could  be  expected  but  lively  times  under  such  conditions?  It 
is  believed  that  Captain  Sanford  was  about  the  best  match  that 
Commodore  Vanderbilt  found  in  his  experience  of  competition 
with  steam  vessels.  It  was  about  as  lively  on  this  route,  at 
times,  as  it  was  on  the  Hudson  River,  putting  their  rival  ashore 
in  the  river,  or  cutting  him  off  from  a  landing,  when  possible, 
being  a  part  of  their  amusement.  In  1835,  the  "Lexington" 
was  on  this  route  for  a  short  time,  being  then  a  new  vessel. 
After  the  "Charter  Oak"  and  the  "Bunker  Hill"  were  taken  to 
the  coast  of  Maine,  the  old  company  put  in  service  the  "Globe" 
and  the  "Kosciusko,"  two  old  timers,  that  run  during  the  busy 
portions  of  a  few  years.  Subsequently,  the  "Champion,"  and 
the  "Hero,"  owned  by  Captain  Peck,  were  on  this  route,  where 
they  formed  a  daily  line  until  the  New  York  &  Hartford  Steam- 
boat Company  was  organized  in  1853,  when  the  "City  of  Hart- 
ford," built  in  the  same  year,  was  put  in  service,  and  the 
"Granite  State,"  the  following  year,  was  added  to  the  line. 
In  1866,  another  new  boat  was  built,  the  "State  of  New  York," 
afterwards  known  as  the  "City  of  Springfield." 

For  a  few  years,  prior  to  1882,  the  company  had  been  sub- 
jected to  very  heavy  losses  on  account  of  accidents  which  had 
happened  to  their  vessels,  and,  in  January  of  that  year,  with- 
drew their  vessels  from  the  route.  In  the  next  month  the 
"Columbia,"  that  had  been  in  the  summer  season  on  the  New 
York  and  Rockaway  route,  was  run  to  Hartford  three  days  in 
the  week,  which  she  continued  until  1883,  when  the  old  com- 
pany, having  been  reorganized  once  more,  placed  their  old 
boats  on  the  route.  The  "City  of  Springfield"  continued  in  ser- 
vice until  about  1895,  and  the  "Capital  City"  x  "Granite 
State"  went  ashore  in  a  fog  near  Stamford,  Conn.,  and  became 
a  total  loss  in  1889.  The  "City  of  Richmond,"  that  had  been 
running  on  the  New  York  &  Sandy  Hook  route,  was  purchased 
and  her  hull  strengthened  before  being  placed  on  the  line,  but 
was  burnt  to  the  water's  edge  on  the  afternoon  of  March  5th, 
1891,  while  lying  at  her  wharf  at  New  York.  The  remains  of 
the  burned  hull  were  subsequently  rebuilt  upon  and  named  the 


HARTFORD,   CONN.  353 

"Win.  C.  Egerton,"  since  renamed  "Glen  Island,"  by  John  H. 
Starin,  in  the  excursion  business. 

The  company,  in  1892,  had  built  by  Neafie  &  Levy  Co.,  the 
propeller  "Hartford,"  and,  in  1896,  the  same  builders  con- 
structed the  "Middletown,"  the  latter  being  in  service  at  this 
date.  The  "Hartford"  was  sold  in  1898  to  the  U.  S.  Quarter- 
masters' Department  for  Cuban  service  and  named  "Terry," 
and  another  vessel  built  at  Baltimore,  Md.,  in  1899,  slightly 
larger  and  given  the  same  name.  The  "Terry"  was  sold  in  1901 
and  sent  to  Lake  Erie  for  foreign  account. 

From  1847  to  1852,  there  run  from  New  York  to  Hartford 
a  line  of  small  propellers,  composed  of  the  "Sachem,"  the  "Sen- 
eca," and  the  "Uncas,"  for  freight  only. 

There  were  some  light-draft  boats  on  the  Connecticut 
River,  plying  between  Hartford  and  Springfield  previous  to 
the  opening  of  the  railroad.  The  "William  Hall,"  built  at  Hart- 
ford in  1831,  with  a  high-pressure  engine.  At  the  same  time 
there  was  the  "John  Cooley,"  built  at  Springfield,  Mass.,  with 
a  high-pressure  engine.  In  1833,  the  "Massachusetts,"  built 
at  Springfield,  for  Chapin  &  Deming,  and  in  1837  the  owners 
of  the  "Massachusetts"  had  constructed  the  "Agawam,"  the 
engine  being  built  by  Daniel  Copeland,  of  Hartford.  All  these 
vessels  had  high-pressure  engines — non-condensing — and  were 
propelled  by  stern  wheels,  and  with  a  depth  of  hold  of  about 
4  feet.  They  were  not  over  about  90  feet  in  length.  There 
was  also  a  high-pressure  boat  named  the  "Middletown,"  built 
in  1837,  running  between  Hartford  and  Saybrook,  and  at  the 
same  time  the  "Kingston,"  of  213  tons,  was  running  on  the 
same  route. 

The  "Champion,"  which  was  the  property  of  Commodore 
Vanderbilt,  and  at  one  time  run  between  New  York  and  Hart- 
ford, started  on  a  trip  down  the  coast  in  1838,  for  the  purpose 
of  testing  her  speed  with  the  fast  boats,  so-called,  that  were 
then  on  the  rivers.  There  was  at  the  time  on  the  Potomac  River 
the  "Sidney,"  which  was  estimated  to  be  of  high  speed  for  those 
days,  but  the  "Champion"  found  it  no  trouble  to  pass  her,  do- 
ing it  without  being  pressed  very  hard.  In  some  of  the  trials 
she  had  there  was  a  consideration  pending  on  the  result,  in 
all  of  which  the  "Champion"  came  off  victor.  She  at  last  ar- 
rived at  New  Orleans,  La.,  where  a  match  was  made  with  one 


354:  BRIDGEPORT,   CONN. 

of  the  best,  at  that  time,  of  the  Mississippi  River  steamboats 
(high  pressure)  for  a  trial,  or  race  it  might  be  more  properly 
called,  from  New  Orleans  to  Louisville,  Ky.  The  day  was 
fixed,  and  all  was  in  readiness  at  the  appointed  hour,  and  they 
started  on  the  race.  But  previous  to  this  the  engineer,  who 
had  brought  the  "Champion"  down  the  coast  as  far  as  New 
Orleans,  was  superseded  by  one  of  the  Mississippi  River  en- 
gineers (high  pressure),  and  he,  before  starting,  had  altered 
the  set  of  the  valves,  and  after  she  had  gone  but  a  few  miles  up 
the  river,  sprung  one  of  the  lifting  rods  of  her  engine,  which 
made  it  necessary  for  her  to  return  to  New  Orleans  for  repairs. 
The  injured  rod  was  repaired,  and  she  proceeded  on  her  way 
again,  but,  as  was  to  be  expected,  had  lost  so  much  time  in 
returning  to  New  Orleans  and  in  making  the  repairs  that  she 
lost  the  race  and  the  investment  on  the  result.  Her  running 
time  between  the  two  cities  was  such  that,  in  all  probability, 
had  her  engine  not  broken  down,  she  would  have  given  a  good 
account  of  herself  at  the  finish.  She  was  sold  in  the  fall  of 
1838  to  parties  at  Pensacola,  Fla.  The  boat  was  but  about  160 
feet  long,  and  had  a  beam  engine  built  by  the  West  Point 
Foundry,  at  New  York  City. 


BRIDGEPORT,  CONN. 

In  1838,  the  "Fairfield,"  one  of  Captain  Peck's  small  boats, 
was  running  from  New  York  to  Bridgeport  during  the  sum- 
mer and  fall,  but  discontinued  the  service  during  the  winter 
months.  The  "Nimrod"  was  running  here  from  about  1833.  X 

The  Housatonic  R.  R.  was  opened  for  business  in  1838, 
but  not  completed  until  1842,  and  the  "Nimrod"  was  run  in 
connection  with  the  railroad  from  the  earlier  date.  She  was 
then  owned  and  commanded  by  Capt.  John  Brooks,  and  run  to 
Bridgeport  as  late  as  1850.  In  1848,  the  railroad  company  pur- 
chased from  the  People's  line  the  "Niagara,"  and  continued  her 
in  service  until  about  1853.  This  boat  was  too  large,  and  of 
too  great  draft  of  water  for  the  route  at  that  time.  There  were 
other  boats  that  run  here  the  next  few  years,  the  most  promi- 


BRIDGEPORT,   CONN.  355 

nent  of  them  being  the  "Mountaineer  that  had  been  on  the 
lower  Hudson  River,  and  was  a  boat  of  some  size  and  speed. 

The  "Bridgeport"  was  the  first  boat  of  any  size  that  run 
regularly  on  the  route  for  a  period  of  time,  being  placed  in 
commission  in  1857  and  run  until  broken  up  in  1889. 

For  about  five  years  from  1843,  the  Housatonic  R.  R. 
was  the  best  means  of  communication  during  the  winter 
months,  when  the  Hudson  River  was  closed  by  ice,  from  New 
York  to  Albany,  being  all  rail  by  the  way  of  Bridgeport  to 
West  Stockbridge,  and  thence  to  Albany. 

In  1857,  an  opposition  line  was  started  with  the  "Cataline," 
built  in  1844,  and  having  a  "square"  engine  of  40"  by  10'  stroke. 
This  vessel  had  seen  much  service  on  the  Hudson  River,  prior 
to  her  employment  on  the  Sound.  Shortly  after,  the  Nauga- 
tuck  Transportation  Company,  that  run  the  "Ansonia"  to 
Derby,  Conn.,  placed  that  vessel  on  the  Bridgeport  route. 

In  1859,  the  "John  Brooks"  was  built  at  New  York  for  the 
same  interests  as  run  the  "Ansonia,"  and  with  the  purpose  to 
make  better  time  than  any  boat  running  west  of  New  Haven, 
and  to  cut  into  the  New  Haven  railroad  passenger  business. 
Her  best  record  is  given  as  3  hours  and  1  minute.  During  her 
first  year  in  80  consecutive  trips  between  New  York  and  Bridge- 
port, the  average  time  was  3  hours  and  22  minutes  to  a  trip, 
but  between  what  points  there  is  no  record.  The  hull  of  this 
vessel  was  250'x34'xll',  and  fitted  with  a  beam  engine  56"xl2', 
built  by  Morgan  Iron  Works.  In  March,  1862,  the  Quarter- 
masters' bureau  chartered  the  vessel,  and  it  was  in  almost  con- 
tinuous service  for  the  government  until  August,  1865,  part 
of  the  time  at  $800  per  day,  then  $700  per  day,  and  the  last 
charter  was  at  $351  per  day,  the  owners  furnishing  everything 
except  coal.  In  1867,  the  vessel  was  sold  to  parties  for  use  on 
the  coast  of  Maine,  where  she  was  worn  out. 

After  the  "John  Brooks,"  the  old  company  run  the  "Bridge- 
port" and  "J.  B.  Schuyler,"and  subsequently  added  the  "Water- 
bury"  x  "Laura,"  an  iron  hull  and  beam-engine  boat  built  in 
1867. 

In  1879,  the  "Rosedale,"  a  fine  side-wheel  boat  that  was 
constructed  in  1877,  and  whose  dimensions  of  hull  were  216'x 
34'xlO',  with  an  engine  of  50"  cylinder  and  12'  stroke,  wras 
started  as  an  opposition  line  and  run  as  such  for  a  few  years, 


356  BRIDGEPORT,   CONN. 

but  was  subsequently  taken  into  the  regular  line.  In  1892,  a 
propeller  was  built  at  Noank,  Conn.,  to  take  the  place  of  the 
"Waterbury,"  and  run  in  connection  with  the  "Rosedale," 
named  the  "Nutmeg  State."  This  vessel  was  lost  by  fire  while 
on  a  trip  from  Bridgeport  to  New  York,  on  the  morning  of 
October  14th,  1899,  when  about  two  miles  east  of  Execution 
light,  and  was  totally  consumed  with  the  loss  of  seven  lives, 
passengers  and  crew  of  the  vessel.  The  company  subsequently 
purchased  the  iron-hull  propeller  "Allan  Joy,"  larger  than  the 
"Nutmeg  State,"  that  has  been  a  valuable  addition  to  the  line. 

In  1902,  the  Harlan  &  Hollingsworth  Company  completed 
for  the  company  a  steel  hull  side-wheel  boat,  larger  than  the 
"Rosedale,"  that  had  now  seen  her  best  days,  named  "William 
G.  Payne,"  having  an  engine  of  the  inclined-cylinders  com- 
pound type.  There  was  considerable  stir  along  the  Sound  in 
the  early  summer,  by  the  claim  of  fast  time  made  by  the  new 
boat.  On  June  27th,  when  about  one  month  in  commission,  a 
trip  was  made  from  New  York  to  Bridgeport  with  an  adverse 
tide,  from  New  York  dock  to  Great  Captains  Island,  and  from 
the  latter  point  to  Bridgeport,  having  a  favorable  tide  with  the 
boat.  The  elapsed  time  between  the  several  points  is  stated  on 
another  page.  This  was  one  of  the  best  trips  made  during  the 
first  season,  and  at  the  time  was  within  hail  of  the  "Richard 
Peck."  While  thus  far  she  has  shown  herself,  at  times,  to  be, 
under  favorable  conditions,  a  very  fast  steamboat,  still,  she 
appears  to  be  erratic  in  her  speed.  Poor  coal  may  be  one  rea- 
son, but  probably  some  changes  in  the  vessel  may  be  of  ad- 
vantage. If  the  vessel  had  been  given  a  little  more  head  room 
on  both  the  main  and  the  upper  deck,  she  would  have  appeared 
in  better  proportion  of  her  height  to  her  length.  The  Bridge- 
port line  was  absorbed  by  the  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hart- 
ford R.  R.  Co.,  in  February,  1903. 

There  was  an  iron-hull  propeller  named  "Naugatuck,"  built 
in  1844,  at  New  York,  for  the  Ansonia  Brass  &  Copper  Com- 
pany that  run  to  Derby,  Conn.,  for  a  few  years.  This  vessel 
was  105  feet  length  on  deck  and  6  feet  8  inches  depth  of  hold. 
The  vessel  was  the  subject  of  several  experiments  with  her 
motive  power  by  her  subsequent  owner,  E.  A.  Stevens,  of  Hobo- 
ken,  N.  J.,  and  during  the  Civil  War  was  in  service  on  the 
James  River,  and  Sounds  of  North  Carolina.  In  later  years, 


BRIDGEPORT,    CONN".  357 

the  vessel  was  in  the  Revenue  Marine  service  in  the  shoal 
waters  about  North  Carolina,  under  the  name  of  "E.  A.  Ste- 
vens," and  later  was  sold  to  Baltimore  parties. 

Bridgeport  harbor,  prior  to  1836,  would  not  admit  vessels 
drawing  over  5  feet  of  water  at  low  water,  as  that  was  the 
depth  on  the  inner  and  the  outer  bars.  Congress  made  an  ap- 
propriation in  1836,  of  f  10,000  for  dredging  the  outer  bar,  and, 
in  1838,  a  depth  of  eight  feet  was  obtained.  Nothing  further 
was  done  until  1852,  wThen  $10,000  was  again  appropriated  for 
dredging,  and  in  1853  and  1854  work  was  done  on  the  inner 
and  the  outer  bars,  the  latter  having  filled  up  some  since  1838. 
resulting  in  an  average  depth  of  8  feet  at  low  water.  But  very 
little  was  done  to  further  improve  the  harbor  by  the  govern- 
ment, until  1871,  when  the  stone  breakwaters  were  commenced 
and  dredging  again  resorted  to,  since  which  time  vast  improve- 
ments have  been  made  for  the  marine  interests  of  the  city. 
Work  has  been  in  progress  for  a  few  years  to  increase  the  depth 
of  water  in  the  main  channel  to  18  feet,  with  two  anchorage 
basins  of  12  feet  deep. 

The  formation  of  these  bars  at  the  entrance  of  many  of 
the  harbors  on  the  Connecticut  shore  is  thus  referred  to  by  an 
eminent  engineer  officer  at  the  time  of  the  construction  of  the 
jetties.  "On  the  north  shores  of  the  Sound  the  headlands  are 
composed  frequently,  and  on  the  south  side  always,  of  accumu- 
lations of  the  glacial  period,  consisting  of  large  and  small 
boulders  and  diminishing  in  size  down  to  pebbles,  sand  and 
clay." 

"These  headlands  are  being  continually  abraded  (as  there 
is  evidence  that  the  shores  are  gradually  sinking)  by  the  waves. 
The  clay  mingles  with  the  water  and  is  borne  away  to  great 
distances,  and  deposited  often  at  the  greatest  depths. 

"The  sand  at  ordinary  times  is  kept  in  motion  by  the  rise 
and  fall  of  the  waves,  and  their  general  motion  being  westward 
in  Long  Island  Sound,  the  resultant  is,  with  occasional  inter- 
missions, a  progress  of  the  sand  westward.  This  action  takes 
place  between  the  high-water  line  and  the  line  of  depth,  which 
limits  the  action  of  the  wave.  In  heavy  storms,  stones  of  a 
foot  in  diameter  are  also  thus  moved  along  the  shore.  The 
large  boulders,  in  all  cases,  remain  at  the  foot  of  the  abraded 
hill  from  which  they  fell,  but  have  in  few  cases,  if  any,  accu- 


358  NORTH   SHORE — LONG  ISLAND. 

mulated  in  sufficient  quantity  to  stop  the  further  abrasion  of 
the  headlands  by  the  waves.  The  supply  is  thus  kept  up,  and 
the  drifting  is  constantly  going  on.  Examinations  at  all  the 
points  on  the  Long  Island  shore  show  this  movement  to  be  to 
the  westward,  and  it  must  be  everywhere,  even  if  there  seems 
to  be  no  perceptible  change  in  the  entrance  to  any  particular 
harbor,  and  it  must,  therefore,  be  going  on  across  the  harbor 
of  Bridgeport." 

Then  another  theory  held  regarding  the  formation  of  bars 
at  the  mouth  of  rivers  was,  that  the  sand  and  mud,  which  is 
drifted  along  the  bottom  by  the  river  current,  passes  into  the 
sea  until  it  meets  the  dead  angle  formed  by  the  rising  of  the 
fresh  river  water  over  the  salt  water,  when  it  is  deposited  and 
forms  the  bar. 

"Nimrod,"  built  1833;  hull,  175'x20'8x8' ;  with  beam  en- 
gine, 40"x9'. 

"Bridgeport,"  built  1857,  by  Samuel  Sneeden,  at  Brook- 
lyn, N.  Y.;  hull,  230'x34'xlO';  with  a  beam  engine,  56"xl2'. 


NORTH  SHORE— LONG  ISLAND. 

p  In  the  early  days  of  steam  navigation,  there  was  no  inter- 
course from  this  locality  with  New  York,  by  water,  other  than 
by  sailing  vessels,  and  it  was  not  until  after  1830  that  the 
steamboats  began  to  run  to  the  nearby  Long  Island  villages  on 
the  North  Shore. 

Capt.  Elijah  Peck,  of  Flushing,  had,  as  early  as  1831,  the 
"Linneaus"  in  service  to  Flushing,  and  this  vessel  having  been 
sold  a  few  years  later  to  parties  at  Philadelphia,  the  "Star" 
and  the  "Fox,"  and  in  1838,  the  "Statesman"  were  put  on  the 
route,  and,  at  times,  these  vessels  ran  as  far  east  as  Glen  Cove, 
stopping  at  all  the  landings  on  the  way.  They  were  small  ves- 
sels, not  more  than  110  feet  long,  with  a  "square"  engine,  some 
times  called  the  "saw-mill"  engine,  a  type  that  has  passed  out  of 
use  for  marine  purposes  many  years  ago^In  1850,  the  "Island 
City,"  a  much  larger  and  more  modern  vessel,  built  by  Thomas 
Collyer,  was  put  on  as  an  opposition  line,  and  in  1852,  Captain 
Peck  withdrew  his  vessels  from  the  route,  and  the  "Island  City" 


NORTH   SHORE — LONG  ISLAND.  359 

was  the  only  boat  running  to  Flushing  until  about  1860.  She 
was  purchased  for  the  transport  fleet  and  subsequently  sold  to 
Philadelphia  parties.  There  was  afterwards  the  "Osseo,"  ma- 
king Flushing  one  of  her  landings,  and  later  still  the  "Harry 
Hill."  There  was  also  a  small  propeller  named  "Flushing." 
The  Boyer  line  of  propellers  for  freight  service  have,  of  late 
years,  served  the  landing.  The  opening  of  the  railroad  was 
the  ending  of  the  passenger  service  by  water. 

In  1845,  and  for  a  few  seasons  after,  the  "American  Eagle," 
a  larger  and  much  better  vessel  than  her  predecessors,  was  run- 
ning to  New  Rochelle,  Glen  Cove  and  Cold  Spring.  About  1848, 
the  "Croton"  was  on  the  Glen  Cove  route,  and  was  the  largest 
steamboat  to  Hempstead  Bay  to  that  date,  being  180'x25'x9', 
with  a  "square"  engine.  This  vessel  found  it  more  profitable  on 
the  route  than  those  before  mentioned,  for  she  continued  the 
service  until  1854,  when  a  new  boat  having  been  constructed 
for  the  route,  the  "Croton"  was  put  in  the  excursion  business, 
and  during  the  early  part  of  the  Civil  War  was  purchased  by 
the  War  Department,  and  sold  when  the  strife  was  over  for 
service  in  South  Carolina  waters.  She  would  be  thought  an 
odd  looking  boat  in  these  days.  In  1852,  she  run  to  Whitestone, 
Glen  Cove,  Oyster  Bay,  and  Cold  Spring,  and  during  the  sum- 
mer of  1853  made  two  round  trips  daily  to  Glen  Cove,  leaving 
New  York  at  9.30  A.  M.,  to  Whitestone  and  Glen  Cove,  and  at 
4.15  P.  M.,  to  Whitestone,  Glen  Cove,  Glenwood,  and  Roslyn. 

The  "Glen  Cove"  was  built  in  1854,  to  run  on  this  route 
by  her  builder,  Thomas  Collyer,  one  of  the  noted  shipbuilders 
at  that  time  for  fast  river  boats.  This  vessel  was  195'x32'x8'6, 
and  fitted  with  a  vertical  beam  engine  that  was  formerly  in 
the  ill-fated  "Henry  Clay,"  that  was  burned  on  the  Hudson 
River  in  1852.  This  vessel  was  a  fine  looking  boat,  as  well  as 
a  fast  one.  The  "Reindeer"  and  the  "Armenia,"  of  the  Hudson 
River  day  lines,  were  constructed  by  the  same  builder.  The 
"Glen  Cove"  was  run  by  the  New  York  and  Glen  Cove  Steam- 
boat Company  until  June,  1856,  when  sold  to  S.  H.  Townsend, 
of  Oyster  Bay,  as  differences  in  the  company  had  arisen.  Her 
newT  owner  placed  her  on  the  Hudson  River  day  line  during 
the  next  month,  where  she  made  some  fast  trips.  The  traveling 
public  did  not  appear  to  have  the  greatest  confidence  in  the 
vessel,  probably  on  account  of  her  engine  having  been  in  the 


360  'NORTH   SHORE — LONG  ISLAND. 

"Henry  Clay."  Her  engine  was,  no  doubt,  operated  under  com- 
paratively high  steam  pressure,  but  she  never  met  with  any 
accident  from  that  cause  while  in  these  waters. 

The  same  company,  in  1859,  had  built  at  Brooklyn,  N.  Y., 
the  "Long  Island,"  with  hull  dimensions  of  191'x29'2x8'9,  and 
a  beam  engine.  This  vessel  was  intended  for  high  speed,  but 
did  not  attain  it  until  her  power  was  increased  the  second 
year  to  a  46"xl2'  stroke  engine.  The  landings  then  included 
Great  Neck,  Sands  Point,  Glen  Cove  and  Roslyn.  In  1861, 
Thomas  Collyer  had  come  into  possession  of  this  vessel,  and 
he  run  her  and  the  "Mayflower"  to  Glen  Cove  for  passengers  at 
20  cents  fare,  and  to  Great  Neck  and  Sands  Point  for  10  cents 
fare.  This  appears  to  have  had  some  connection  with  his  for- 
mer service  to  the  landings  east  of  Glen  Cove,  and  to  drive  off 
the  "T.  V.  Arrowsmith."  He  was  very  active  in  the  opposition 


line  business  this  season,  being  hotly  engaged  most  all  the 
year  at  Keyport,  N.  J.,  where  some  of  his  former  competitors 
on  the  Hudson  River  were  running  a  line,  and  where  the 
"Arrowsmith"  belonged,  and  where  the  sparks  were  flying  free- 
ly. In  the  summer  of  1862,  he  chartered  the  "Long  Island"  for 
transport  duty  at  f  450  per  day.  She  was  partially  burned  while 
in  the  Neuse  River,  North  Carolina,  was  rebuilt,  sold  to  the 
War  Department  in  April,  1863,  for  f 50,000,  and  in  August, 
1865,  sold  to  S.  J.  Pentz,  of  Baltimore,  Md.,  for  f  18,000,  and 
has  been  running  in  Chesapeake  Bay  under  the  name  of  "Sam- 
uel J.  Pentz,"  and  was  still  doing  duty  there  a  few  months  ago. 
In  1862,  the  "T.  V.  Arrowsmith,"  from  the  New  York  and 
Keyport  route,  was  running  to  the  North  Shore  landings,  and 
in  1862, 1864  and  1865  the  "Jessie  Hoyt,"  a  new  boat  from  the 
Hudson  River,  and  one  not  to  be  ignored  by  any  of  her  size, 


NORTH    SHORE LONG    ISLAND.  361 

was  covering  the  route.  The  "Arrowsmith"  was  about  the  same 
size,  but  was  never  counted  on  for  any  speed.  She  run  here 
also,  in  1863,  with  a  morning  freight  boat,  named  "Minnie"x 
"George  Law,"  one  of  Thomas  Collyer's  fleet  he  had  run  to  Oys- 
ter Bay.  The  passenger  fare  at  this  time  was  25  cents,  and 
this  in  the  time  of  expanded  prices  of  all  commodities. 

There  were  no  others  until  the  "Seawanhaka,"  built  by 
B.  C.  Terry,  of  Keyport,  N.  J.,  in  1866,  who  built  many  of  the 
medium-size  river  boats  of  that  day  that  turned  out  very  able 
steamboats.  This  vessel  was  originally  200'x29'6xlO',  but  was 
subsequently  lengthened  about  30  feet,  and  fitted  with  a  beam 
engine  of  50"  cylinder  by  10'  stroke.  She  was  an  able  and 
speedy  vessel  for  her  dimensions  and  power,  but  it  is  doubtful 
if  more  so  than  the  "Glen  Cove,"  or  "Long  Island,"  or  possibly 
the  "Jesse  Hoyt."  It  was  during  her  first  or  second  year  that 
a  landing  was  made  at  Sea  Cliff.  In  1871,  the  "T.  V.  Arrow- 
smith"  was  a  morning  boat  from  New  York,  while  the  "Seawan- 
haka" run  the  afternoon  trip.  In  1873,  the  "T.  V.  Arrowsmith" 
run  from  New  York  in  the  morning  again,  landing  only  at  Glen 
Cove  and  Sea  Cliff:  the  latter  landing  began  now  to  assume 
some  importance  during  the  summer  season.  The  "Seawan- 
haka" made  all  other  landings  in  the  afternoon.  This  vessel 
performed  the  work  of  the  regular  line  very  acceptably  until 
June  28, 1880,  when,  on  the  afternoon  trip  from  New  York  and 
off  Ward's  Island  in  Hell  Gate,  a  fire  was  discovered  in  the 
hold  of  the  vessel,  caused,  it  was  believed,  after  a  thorough  in- 
vestigation by  the  steamboat  inspectors,  from  back  draft  in 
the  boilers  throwing  live  coals  from  the  furnaces  and  igniting 
the  woodwork  of  the  vessel,  that  was  run  ashore,  but  not  before 
many  persons  had  been  drowned  by  jumping  overboard.  About 
forty  lives  were  lost  in  all.  The  vessel  proved  a  total  loss. 

The  "Idlewild,"  built  in  1876,  and  run  to  Coney  Island  and 
other  places  around  New7  York,  was  the  successor  of  the  "Sea- 
wanhaka," and  was  179'9x32'9x9'3,  with  an  engine  of  48"xlO'. 
This  vessel  was  destroyed  by  fire,  while  lying  in  winter  quarters 
at  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  in  January,  1901. 

The  "Nantasket,"  built  in  1878,  by  Pearce  &  Montgomery, 
of  Chelsea,  Mass.,  for  the  Boston  &  Hingham  Steam- 
boat Company,  is  173'x29'x9',  with  a  46"x8'  stroke 


362  NORTH   SHORE — LONG   ISLAND. 

engine,  run  there  in  1901  and  1902.  She  run  in  Boston 
harbor  until  the  company  built  three  or  four  larger  and 
much  higher-powered  vessels  to  perform  the  work  de- 
manded on  this  route.  There  have  been  several  more  able  and 
better  furnished  steamboats  at  different  times  on  this  route, 
when  the  population  of  the  villages  were  comparatively  small 
to  what  they  are  to-day,  than  the  present  means  of  transporta- 
tion by  water.  In  1903,  the  "Orient"  was  running  in  place  of 
the  "Nantasket." 

To  Oyster  Bay,  Cold  Spring  and  Northport  the  "Croton" 
run  at  periods,  and,  in  1859,  while  running  or  making  a  landing 
at  Glen  Cove,  run  to  these  landings.  The  service  here  has  never 
been  for  any  extended  period  very  regular.  Thomas  Collyer 
run  the  "George  Law,"  a  boat  of  154  feet  long,  and  at  times  the 
"Mayflower,"  with  a  "square"  engine  bought  from  a  Boston 
route,  a  larger  boat  than  the  former,  to  Oyster  Bay  and  North- 
port  up  to  about  1858.  After  the  "Croton"  came  the  "Long 
Island"  for  a  period  before  going  into  the  transport  service. 
The  service  was  now  very  irregular  until  after  1865,  for  the 
next  year  the  "D.  R.  Martin"  was  the  regular  boat  to  these  land- 
ings up  to  and  including  the  year  1870.  In  1867,  the  "Mattano" 
was  running  to  Willetts  Point,  and  Northport.  Since  the  "D.  E. 
Martin,"  the  only  boat  to  cover  this  landing  was  the  "Shady 
Side"  for  a  time.  The  extension  of  the  Long  Island  Railroad 
to  Oyster  Bay,  in  1889,  has  cut  off  all  transportation  by  water. 

To  Sag  Harbor,  the  "Island  Belle,"  built  in  1852,  ran  for  a 
few  years,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  "Cataline"  that  had  been 
on  the  Bridgeport  line,  and  later  by  the  "Massachusetts."  Af- 
terwards, the  "Edward  Everett,"  the  "Stamford,"  the  "Artizan," 
and  the  "Escort"  that  run  from  1871  to  1876,  and  since  then 
the  "W.  W.  Coit,"  built  at  Mystic,  Conn.,  in  1864.  In  1886,  the 
Montauk  Steamboat  Company  that  has  since  passed  under  the 
control  of  the  Long  Island  Railroad  Company,  had  built  the 
"Shelter  Island,"  and  in  1890  the  "Montauk,"  and  in  1896  the 
"Shinnecock."  These  are  steel-hull  vessels  and  the  best  that 
have  been  on  the  route.  The  latter  is  much  the  larger  of  her 
predecessors.  The  "Shelter  Island"  was  chartered  to  run  in 
Florida  wraters  in  1896,  and  on  her  first  trip  from  Miama  to 
Key  West,  on  February  20th,  1896,  struck  on  rocks  and  sunk 


HARLEM    AND    M0RRISANIA.  363 

off  Logger  Head  Key,  proving  a  total  loss.  The  "Montauk"  was 
sold  in  the  spring  of  1902  to  Canadian  parties,  for  service  on 
Lake  Erie,  and  named  "King  Edward."  The  company  has  since 
added  a  boat  purchased  from  one  of  the  coast  of  Maine  routes. 


HAELEM  AND  MORRISANIA. 

There  had  been  at  various  times,  prior  to  1856,  steamboats 
running  to  Harlem  from  the  lower  part  of  the  city,  but  not  for 
any  extended  time.  That  part  of  the  city  was  then  sparsely  set- 
tled to  what  it  was  ten  years  hence.  In  the  former  year  the 
Harlem  Steamboat  Company  was  organized,  and  the  same  year 
the  "Sylvan  Shore"  was  built  for  them  by  F.  Boole,  and  in  1858, 
the  "Sylvan  Grove,"  built  by  George  Collyer,  was  added.  These 
two  boats  were  competent  to  care  for  all  the  business  of  the 
company  until  the  "Sylvan  Stream"  was  added  in  1863.  In 
1869,  Lawrence  &  Foulks  built  the  "Sylvan  Glen."  Shortly 
after,  the  "Sylvan  Shore"  was  sold  to  parties  in  New  York,  who 
put  her  in  service  on  the  Savannah  River,  Ga.,  and  afterwards 
around  New  York,  and  her  hull  was  finally  broken  up  about 
1877  and  her  engine  put  in  Brooklyn  Annex  ferryboat,  No.  1. 
In  1872,  Lawrence  &  Foulks  built  the  "Sylvan  Dell"  for  the 
company,  and  she  proved  herself  to  be  a  very  able  boat,  and 
one  possessed  of  higher  speed  than  any  boat  of  her  dimensions 
around  New  York,  as  was  fully  demonstrated  on  more  than  one 
occasion.  On  October  18th,  1872,  she  made  a  trip  from  New 
York  to  Albany,  without  passengers  or  making  landings  along 
the  river,  in  7  hours  and  43  minutes,  details  of  which  run  will 
be  found  under  "High  Speed." 

After  the  opening  of  the  Third  Avenue  Elevated  R.  R,  to 
Harlem,  in  1879,  the  passenger  travel  by  boat  was  reduced  to 
such  an  extent  as  to  make  it  no  longer  profitable  to  continue 
the  service,  and  soon  after  the  boats  were  withdrawn  and  sub- 
sequently disposed  of  for  other  service.  The  "Sylvan  Dell"  and 
the  "Sylvan  Glen"  went  to  the  Delaware  River,  and  the  "Sylvan 
Stream"  to  Lake  Ontario.  The  machinery  of  all  these  boats 
was  built  by  Fletcher,  Harrison  &  Co. 


HARLEM   AND   MORRISANIA.  365 

la  1871,  the  Morrisania  Steamboat  Company  had  built  for 
them  the  "Morrisania,"  and  the  next  year  the  "Harlem"  was 
finished  and  added  to  the  line,  and,  in  1873,  the  "Shady  Side," 
which  had  been  running  a  short  time  on  the  New  York  and 
Fort  Lee  route,  was  purchased  and  added  to  the  line,  These 
boats  run  until  1879,  when  the  Elevated  Railroad  affected  their 
passenger  travel  the  same  as  the  Harlem  Company,  and  they 
were  withdrawn  from  the  route,  and  in  1881  were  sold  under 
foreclosure  of  a  mortgage. 

These  lines  run  a  fierce  opposition  for  some  years,  and  the 
trials  of  speed  between  the  opposing  boats,  when  they  came 
together,  were  at  times  very  exciting,  especially  after  the  "Syl- 
van Dell"  was  built.  The  "Shady  Side"  had  proved  herself  a 
very  able  boat  for  her  size  when  on  the  Fort  Lee  route,  and  was 
brought  around  on  the  Morrisania  route,  with  the  hope  of  be- 
ing an  equal  of  the  "Sylvan  Dell."  She  was  a  vast  improvement 
over  the  original  boats  of  the  line,  but  was  not  always  able  to 
hold  her  own  with  the  "Sylvan  Dell."  The  "Shady  Side"  has 
been  running  to  one  of  the  nearby  Connecticut  landings  for 
some  years. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

LAKE  ERIE  AND  LAKE  ONTARIO. 

I  TEAM  navigation  on  the  lakes  dates  from  the  year 
1818,  when  the  steamboat  "Walk-in-the- Water" 
was  built  to  ply  on  Lake  Erie.  The  hull  of  this 
vessel  was  built  at  Black  Rock,  N.  Y.,  by  Noah 
Brown,  of  New  York  City,  for  James  B.  Stuart, 
of  Albany,  N.  Y.;  Robert  McQueen,  of  New  York  City,  and 
others.  The  vessel  was  135  feet  long,  32  feet  beam,  and  8  feet 
3  inches  depth  of  hold,  and  was  brig-rigged.  The  engine  was 
a  low  pressure  of  the  "square-engine"  type,  having  a  cylinder 
of  40  inches  diameter  and  4  feet  stroke,  built  by  Robert 
McQueen.  This  engine  was  transported  by  sloops  to  Albany 
from  New  York,  and  from  there  to  Buffalo  by  six  and  eight 
Jiorse  wagons,  taking  from  15  to  25  days  for  the  delivery.  The 
materials  for  the  boiler  were  sent  to  Black  Rock,  and  the  boiler 
built  near  where  the  hull  was  constructed.  It  was  of  copper, 
24  feet  long  and  9  feet  diameter,  with  one  "kidney"  flue.  The 
engineer  of  the  vessel  was  James  Calhoun,  of  New  York  City. 

'  The  first  trip  of  the  vessel  was  from  Buffalo  to  Detroit, 
leaving  the  former  port  on  Aug.  20th,  1818,  under  Capt.  Job 
Fish.  The  time  consumed  in  the  trip  was  usually  36  to  40 
hours  in  good  weather,  and  using  36  to  40  cords  of  wood  in 
the' boiler  during  the  same  period.  The  passenger  fare  in  the 
main  cabin  was  $18  between  Buffalo  and  Detroit;  between 
Buffalo  and  Sandusky,  $15;  between  Buffalo  and  Cleveland, 
$12;  and  between  Buffalo  and  Erie  $6.00>^l 

The  strength  of  the  rapids  at  the  head  of  the  Niagara 
River  between  Buffalo  and  Black  Rock  was  so  great  that, 
besides  the  power  of  the  engine,  the  steamer  had  to  have 
the  aid  of  eight  yoke  of  oxen  to  get  her  up  on  the  lake,  a 
distance  of  about  2%  miles.  In  those  days  the  passenger  and 
freight  traffic  was  so  limited  on  the  lakes  that  one  dividend 


LAKE   ERIE   AND   LAKE  ONTARIO.  367 

only  was  made  to  the  owners  for  the  th-ree  years  from  the 
earnings  of  the  vessel. 

^Mr.  Calhoun,  the  engineer  of  the  vessel,  said  in  later  years, 
of  his  experience  in  those  early  days:  "Every  two  years  I 
used  to  return  to  New  York  from  Buffalo  in  the  fall,  and  in  the 
spring  return  to  Buffalo.  I  have  been  three  or  four  days  by 
stage  to  Albany,  never  less  than  three  days,  and  sometimes 
near  five  days;  the  stage  fare  was  flO  to  Albany.  From 
Albany  to  Buffalo  I  have  been  ten  days  in  getting  through — 
the  shortest  time  was  eight  days.  The  stage  fare  through  was 
f 21.  My  usual  expenses  in  going  from  Albany  to  Buffalo  were 
$30,  including  hotel  expenses."  )( 

After  doing  service  a  little  over  three  years,  the  vessel 
was  wrecked  in  Buffalo  Bay,  during  a  heavy  gale  on  November 
1st,  1821.  No  lives  lost. 

In  1822,  Noah  Brown  also  built  the  "Superior."  for  the 
same  owners  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  as  a  successor  to  the  "Walk-in- 
the- Water."  This  vessel  was  of  different  proportions  in  the 
hull  from  her  predecessor,  while  but  9  feet  shorter  was  over 
11  feet  less  beam,  with  over  2  feet  greater  depth  of  hold.  The 
dimensions  were  126'x20'8xlO'6.  The  machinery  was  recov- 
ered from  the  wrecked  vessel  and  placed  in  the  "Superior." 
This  engine  was  subsequently  fitted  in  the  steamboat  "Charles 
Townsend,"  built  in  1835,  at  Buffalo,  by  Carrick  &  Bidwell, 
after  the  "Superior"  had  been  altered  into  a  sailing  vessel 
by  the  removal  of  her  machinery,  and  used  in  the  lumber  trade 
on  the  upper  end  of  Lake  Erie,  and  was  lost  in  1843. 

In  1824,  the  "Chippewa,"  of  100  tons;  and  in  1825,  the 
"Henry  Clay,"  of  348  tons,  were  built,  but  both  were  broken 
up  after  short  service.  In  the  latter  year  the  "Pioneer"  was 
built  by  Benj.  Winslow,  for  A.  S.  and  P.  T.  Porter,  Sheldon 
Thompson  and  19  others,  at  Black  Rock.  Length,  98  feet; 
beam,  16  feet  9  inches,  and  8  feet  depth.  This  vessel  was 
twice  wrecked — once  at  Grand  River,  Ohio,  in  November,  1825, 
and  was  finally  beached  in  a  gale  of  wind  near  Chicago,  in 
July,  1834. 

In  1829,  there  was  built  at  Portland  harbor,  Chautauqua 
County,  New  York,  the  "William  Peacock,"  by  Asa  Standart, 
for  Eliphalet  Tinker,  Joseph  White  and  30  others.  Length, 
102  feet,  19  feet  beam,  and  7  feet  6  inches  depth  of  hold.  The 


368  LAKE   ERIE   AND   LAKE    ONTARIO. 

vessel  was  originally  fitted  with,  a  low-pressure  engine,  built  at 
Troy,  N.  Y.,  but  after  running  one  season  this  was  removed 
and  one  on  the  high  pressure  principle,  built  by  Stackhouse 
&  Tomlinson,  at  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  erected  in  its  place,  with  four 
boilers  under  the  deck.  On  September  16th  of  the  same  year, 
as  the  vessel  was  leaving  Buffalo  harbor  for  Detroit  with  a 
heavy  head  sea  running,  her  steam  pipe  broke,  there  being  no 
slip  joint  in  the  pipe,  resulting  in  the  loss  of  fourteen  lives — all 
passengers.  She  finally  went  ashore  near  Erie,  Pa.,  in  1832, 
and  became  a  total  loss. 

In  1834,  there  was  built  at  Perrysburg,  Ohio,  by  Augustus 
Jones,  for  the  Perrysburg  Steamboat  Co.,  the  "Commodore 
Perry."  This  vessel  was  146  feet  2  inches  long,  26  feet  4 
inches  beam,  and  9  feet  9  inches  depth  of  hold;  was  fitted 
with  one  horizontal  high-pressure  engine,  built  by  P.  B.  An- 
drews, of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  with  boilers  below  deck.  These 
boilers  were  the  subject  of  two  accidents  during  the  first 
season  by  the  collapsing  of  the  flues,  due  to  defective  iron  of 
which  they  were  made,  and  resulting  in  the  loss  of  four  lives. 

There  was  running  from  Buffalo  a  few  years  later,  the 
"Buffalo,"  of  613  tons;  the  "DeWitt  Clinton,"  of  413  tons; 
the  "Wisconsin,"  of  490  tons,  built  at  Conneaut,  Ohio,  and 
having  an  engine  that  was  taken  from  the  "Ohio,"  on  the  Hud- 
son Eiver;  "Robert  Fulton,"  of  368  tons;  "Milwaukee,"  of  401 
tons,  built  at  Grand  Island,  in  1837,  and  fitted  with  a  beam 
engine  from  the  West  Point  Foundry,  New  York  City.  This 
vessel  was  172'x24'xlO',  and  was  wrecked  on  Lake  Michigan, 
in  1842;  "Charles  Townsend,"  of  312  tons;  "Daniel  Webster," 
of  358  tons;  "Constellation,"  of  483  tons;  "Fairport,"  of  259 
tons;  "Red  Jacket,"  of  158  tons,  a  small  boat  of  110'xl6'x8', 
built  at  Grand  Island  in  1838,  for  Niagara  River  service,  with 
a  beam  engine  taken  from  steamboat  "Victory,"  on  the  Hudson 
River.  Eight  of  these  vessels  had  low-pressure  engines,  all 
being  built  at  New  York,  either  by  the  Allaire  Works,  West 
Point  Foundry,  or  Birbeck  &  Co.,  and  four  with  high-pressure 
engines,  built  by  Ward  &  Benne,  of  Pittsburg,  Pa. 

The  "Caroline,"  that  was  brought  into  such  prominence  in 
1837  by  being  burned  by  a  body  of  Canadian  militia  during  an 
attempted  invasion  of  the  province,  was  a  small  vessel  of  46 
tons,  and  was  built  at  Charleston,  S.  C.,  in  1824.  She  run  on 


LAKE   ERIE   AND   LAKE    ONTARIO.  369 

the  Hudson  River  between  Albany  and  Troy  about  1834,  after 
which  she  was  .taken  through  the  Erie  Canal  to  Buffalo,  which 
was  accomplished  by  taking  off  her  wheel  guards.  A  short 
time  after  she  was  rebuilt  at  Ogdensburg,  N.  Y.,  and  subse- 
quently went  to  the  Niagara  River,  where  she  was  burned  as 
previously  mentioned. 

Among  the  largest  steam  vessels  on  the  lakes  prior  to 
1840  was  the  "Jaines  Madison,"  being  178  feet  long,  30  feet 
0  inches  beam,  and  12  feet  6  inches  deep,  draft  of  water  10  feet. 
Was  fitted  writh  a  high-pressure  engine  of  28-inch  cylinder  and 
8  feet  stroke,  built  at  Erie,  Pa.  The  passenger  accommoda- 
tions were  the  best  of  her  day,  and  the  service  covered  the  route 
between  Buffalo  and  Chicago,  a  distance  of  nearly  1,000  miles. 
Another  fine  vessel  was  the  "Cleveland,"  built  in  1837,  at 
Huron  City,  for  Griffith,  Beebe,  Allen  &  Co.,  with  a  beam 
engine  built  by  the  West  Point  Foundry,  of  50-inch  cylinder 
by  10  feet  stroke.  The  hull  dimensions  were  180'x29'xll'8. 
Was  destroyed  by  fire  at  Tonawanda,  N.  Y.,  in  1854 

The  most  radical  departure  in  steamboat  design  and  con- 
struction in  the  early  days  was  that  made  in  the  building  of 
the  "Great  Western."  This  vessel  was  built  at  Huron,  Ohio, 
in  1838,  and  was  186'x34'xl3',  with  a  high-pressure  engine, 
29-inch  cylinder  by  10  feet  stroke,  and  seven  boilers.  During 
the  two  years  in  which  this  vessel  was  building,  and  also  after 
her  appearance  upon  Lake  Erie  in  service,  those  who  were 
supposed  to  be  judges  in  lake  navigation  expressed  grave 
doubts  of  the  seaworthiness  of  that  type  of  vessel.  But  in  a 
few  trips  she  became  a  favorite  with  the  traveling  public, 
notwithstanding  the  opinions  and  prejudices  of  a  few.  This 
was  the  means  of  making  great  changes  in  the  construction  of 
steam  vessels  on  the  lakes,  converting  the  lower  cabins  into 
steerage  quarters  and  freight  compartments,  and  adding  the 
upper  cabin  with  state  rooms.  The  vessel  was  designed  and 
modeled  by  Capt.  A.  Walker,  her  owner.  She  was  partially 
destroyed  by  fire  in  1839,  but  was  rebuilt  and  continued  in 
service  until  1855,  when  broken  up.  The  "Anthony  Wayne," 
and  the  "James  Madison"  had,  previous  to  this,  on  the  upper 
deck,  between  the  wheel  houses,  each  a  few  rooms  used  for 
smoking  rooms  and  card  playing,  but  those  on  the  "Great 
Western"  were  the  first  with  state  rooms  for  passengers  on 


370  LAKE  ERIE  AND  LAKE  ONTARIO. 

the  lakes.     State  rooms  had  many  years  before  this  been  in 
use  on  some  of  the  Mississippi  River  steamboats. 

"^  The  want  of  safe  harbors,  and  the  means  of  easy  com- 
munication with  the  interior  of  the  neighboring  States  was  the 
reason  of  the  slow  progress  of  lake  navigation  until  the  year 
1832,  when,  by  the  completion  of  the  Welland  Canal  and  the 
Ohio  canals,  and  the  improvement  of  the  harbors  on  the  shore 
of  Lake  Erie,  opened  further  communication  with  the  outer 
world,  both  to  the  south  through  the  State  of  Ohio,  and  to  the 
east  for  Lake  Ontario.  The  Erie  Canal  had  been  opened 
through  New  York  State  since  1825.  In  1836,  there  were  on 
the  lakes  45  passenger  steam  vessels,  and  in  1839  they  had 
increased  to  61  steam  vessels. )(  The  largest  at  this  time  was 
the  "Illinois,''  built  in  1838,  whose  dimensions  wrere  205'x 
29'xl3',  with  an  engine  56"xlO'  stroke,  and  running  from 
Buffalo  to  Chicago.  The  largest  then  running  to  Detroit  was 
the  "Erie,"  built  at  Erie,  Pa.— hull,  176'x27'xlO',  and  having 
a  beam  engine  of  52"xlO'  stroke,  and  her  average  speed 
about  12  miles  per  hour.sf.  The  cabin  fare  at  this  time  between 
Buffalo  and  Detroit  was  $8.00,  including  meals.  The  "Illinois" 
usually  made  the  trip  to  Chicago  in  five  days  and  return  in 
•four  days  to  Buffalo.  Cabin  passage  from  Buffalo  to  Chicago, 
$20;  Detroit  to  Chicago,  $16/y There  were  several  small  steam 
vessels  devoted  mainly  to  freighting,  such  as  the  "United 
States,"  140'x28'xlO',  with  a  high-pressure  engine,  built  at 
Pittsburg,  Pa.;  28-inch  cylinder  by  7  feet  stroke. 

On  account  of  the  number  of  yessels  that  had  been  con- 
structed for  a  few  years  prior  to  1840,  being  of  a  larger 
per  cent,  than  the  increase  of  passenger  traffic  and  freight 
business,  sharp  competition  had  set  in,  and  passenger  rates 
were  cut  as  low  as  $4.00  to  Detroit  from  Buffalo,  extras 
included.  This  was  not  maintained  for  any  length  of  time, 
but  in  June,  1839,  an  association  was  formed,  comprising 
many  of  the  principal  owners  of  the  lines  on  the  lakes,  the 
object  of  which  was  to  regulate  the  number  of  vessels  to  retain 
in  commission  according  to  the  needs  of  the  business  between 
Buffalo,  Detroit  and  Chicago,  and  to  retire  from  service  all 
those  found  to  be  unnecessary,  and  at  the  same  time  to  fix  a 
regular  tariff  for  passenger  travel  and  freight  rates  that  should 
prove  more  beneficial  to  the  steamboat  interests  than  those 


LAKE   EBIE   AND    LAKE    ONTARIO.  371 

previously  in  force.  There  were  about  thirty  steam  vessels 
represented  in  this  association.  This  combination  did  not 
remain  active  for  any  great  time. 

The  introduction  of  the  propeller  on  the  northern  lakes 
was  first  inaugurated  by  the  arrival  on  Lake  Erie,  early  in 
1842,  of  the  "Vandalia,"  a  sloop-rigged  craft,  built  at  Oswego, 
and  of  150  tons.  In  1842,  the  "Chicago"  and  the  "Oswego," 
each  of  150  tons,  were  built  at  Oswego.  In  1843,  the  "Her- 
cules" and  the  "Sampson,"  the  former  built  at  Buffalo,  and 
the  latter  at  Perrysburg,  were  the  first  built  on  Lake  Erie. 
These  propellers  were  thus  referred  to  at  that  date:  "The 
building  of  the  propeller  'Hercules'  is  the  commencement  of 
a  new  era  in  steam  navigation  on  the  lakes,  and  her  owners 
predict  for  that  description  of  vessel  a  large  share  of  the 
carrying  trade,  especially  upon  the  upper  lakes.  The  'Hercules* 
is  137  feet  long,  25  feet  beam,  8  feet  hold,  and  put  together  in 
the  strongest  manner.  She  has  fourteen  state  rooms,  six  feet 
square,  with  sufficient  additional  space  for  the  erection  of  46 
more  berths,  and  from  the  peculiar  symmetry  of  the  'Hercules7 
she  will  doubtless  afford  ample  accommodations  for  families 
emigrating.  Her  space  below  for  storage  is  large,  having 
almost  the  entire  hull  of  the  vessel  appropriated  for  that 
purpose.  The  peculiar  feature,  however,  of  the  'Hercules' 
is  her  engine  and  its  auxiliaries.  On  examining  the  machinery, 
all  are  struck  writh  the  infinite  compactness  of  the  steam 
apparatus,  and  its  perfect  simplicity,  the  whole  weighing  but 
fifteen  tons.  The  engine  is  simple  and  very  small,  lies  close 
upon  the  keelson,  and  fills  but  a  space  of  six  feet  square.  It 
is  one  of  Ericcson's  patent,  was  made  at  Auburn,  and  is  com- 
puted to  be  of  fifty  horse  power. 

"The  weight  of  an  engine  and  boilers  for  one  of  our 
largest  steamers  is  estimated  at  from  60  to  70  tons,  the  dead 
wreight  of  which  a  propeller  escapes  carrying.  The  paddles 
are  made  of  boiler  iron  %  inches  thick,  18  inches  broad  by 
30  inches,  and  are  placed  on  two  long  wrought-iron  shafts 
protruding  from  either  side  of  the  stern  post.  The  diameter 
of  the  paddles  (screws?)  are  6  feet  4  inches.  From  the  superb 
manner  in  which  the  'Hercules'  is  built  and  fitted  out,  having 
cost  nearly  f  20,000,  it  is  apparent  that  the  enterprising  pro- 
prietors are  determined  to  give  the  experiment  a  full  and  fair 


372  LAKE   EHIE   AND   LAKE    ONTARIO. 

trial.  Another  boat  of  the  same  tonnage,  for  the  same  owners, 
is  now  being-  built  at  Perry sburg,  and  will  be  out  next  month. 
Ten  cords  of  wood,  at  a  cost  of  f  17,  will  suffice  the  propeller 
per  diem,  while  one  of  our  largest  steamers  will  consume  two 
cords  per  hour,  at  a  cost  of  |80  per  day.  Some  of  the  steamers 
even  exceed  this  calculation  by  33  per  cent."  These  two 
propellers  had  each  two  high-pressure  engines,  with  14-inch 
cylinders  and  28  inches  stroke. 

The  propeller  had  taken  a  strong  hold  on  the  lakes  at 
this  early  period,  and  many  vessels  were  fitted  with  the  screw 
propeller,  and  most  all  were  driven  by  the  high-pressure  or 
non-condensing  engine.  Some  of  the  larger  ones  about  1850 
may  be  said  to  have  been:  "California,"  with  two  H.  P.  en- 
gines, 18"x34"  and  8'  wheel;  "Delaware,"  one  H.  P.  engine. 
20''x42"  and  7'6"  wheel;  "Globe"  and  "Goliath,"  each  two 
H.  P.  engines,  16"x2S";  "Manhattan,"  140'x24'xlO',  with  two 
H.  P.  engines,  16"x32",  with  an  8'  wheel;  "Oregon,"  140'x23'x 
O'lO,  with  two  H.  P.  engines,  16"x28",  and  a  T  wheel. 

After  1855  screw  propellers  of  increased  size  were  built, 
and,  proving  themselves  well  adapted  to  the  trade  of  the  lakes, 
especially  through  the  canal,  they  quickly  began  to  take  the 
place  of  the  side- wheel  boats.  The  year  1861  may  be  said  to 
have  been  the  beginning  of  the  era  for  propellers  on  the  lakes 
of  1,000  tons  and  over.  Since  then  side-wheel  boats  are  only 
used  on  some  special  passenger  service. 

The  era  of  larger  vessels  began  in  1844,-  with  the  con- 
struction of  the  "Empire,"  of  1,140  tons,  253'x32'8xl4',  with 
high-pressure  engine  of  45"xlO',  and  two  boilers,  and  water 
wheels  30'xll'.  There  was  also  the  "America,"  running  from 
Buffalo  to  Chicago,  hull  dimensions  being  225'x34'xl2' ;  draft, 
8  feet,  with  two  high-pressure  engines,  built  by  Yeatman  & 
Shields,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  each  engine  having  cylinders  30" 
diameter  by  11'  stroke,  and  seven  boilers,  working  under  an 
average  pressure  of  steam  of  90  Ibs.,  cutting  off  at  4'  2"; 
water  wheels,  34'xlO'6.  The  "Niagara,"  built  at  Buffalo  in 
1845,  of  1,100  tons,  23()'x33'6xl4',  with  a  beam  engine,  65"xlO', 
and  three  boilers,  and  water  wheels,  30'xlO'.  These  vessels 
were  constructed  for  the  passenger  travel  on  Lake  Erie  and 
Lake  Michigan.  A  few  years  later,  others  of  increased  dimen- 
sions were  built,  the  largest  being  the  "Empire  State,"  built 


LAKE    E1UE   AND   LAKE    ONTARIO.  373 

at  St.  Glair,  in  1848,  of  1,570  tons,  310'x37'xl4',  with  a  beam 
engine  of  76"xl2',  constructed  by  Merrick  &  Towne,  South- 
wark  Foundry,  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  with  water  wheels  of  38'x 
10'.  At  this  time  the  railroads  were  being  rapidly  extended 
from  the  coast  cities  to  the  western  States,  and  in  1851  the 
New  York  and  Erie  R.  R.  Company  was  largely  interested 
and  controlled  a  line  of  steamers  comprising  the  "Niagara," 
the  "Keystone  State,"  and  the  "Queen  City,"  running  from 
Dunkirk  to  Detroit,  connecting  there  with  the  railroad  to  the 
West.  At  this  time  the  rivalry  between  the  N.  Y.  and  Erie 
R.  R.  Co.,  and  what  was  subsequently  the  N.  Y.  Central 
R.  R.  Co.,  was  about  as  intense  as  desired,  especially  for  the 
western  travel,  that  had  largely  increased  in  a  few  years. 

Passenger  travel  by  the  way  of  Albany  and  Buffalo  to 
the  West  was  served  on  the  lakes  by  a  fine  line  of  steamers, 
one  of  them  being  the  "Mayflower,"  built  in  1849  at  Detroit, 
of  1,242  tons,  288'x35'xl2',  with  a  beam  engine,  built  by  the 
West  Point  Foundry,  at  Cold  Spring,  N.  Y.,  of  72"xll',  having 
three  boilers  below  decks  and  two  chimneys;  wrater  wheels, 
35'xll'.  This  vessel  was  finally  wrecked  on  Point  Au  Pellee, 
in  November,  1854,  in  a  fog.  In  1854,  the  Michigan  Central 
R.  R.  Co.  and  Isaac  Newton  and  others  of  New  York  City,  who 
were  interested  in  the  People's  line  on  the  Hudson  River,  had 
built  at  Buffalo  two  large  side-wheel  steamers,  the  "Western 
World"  and  the  "Plymouth  Rock,"  to  run  in  connection  with 
the  railroad  from  Albany  to  Buffalo — that  was  now  the  N.  Y. 
Central  R.  R. — to  make  a  through  line  from  New  York  to  the 
West  of  those  having  a  mutual  interest.  The  "Western  World" 
was  337'x42'xl4'6,  and  had  a  lever  beam  engine,  built  by  the 
Allaire  Works,  of  81"xl2'  stroke.  The  "Plymouth  Rock"  was 
335'10x42'xl4'6,  and  had  an  engine  of  same  type  and  size  as 
the  "Western  World,"  and  by  same  builder.  These  were  the 
first  vessels  built  by  John  Englis,  of  New  York,  after  succeed- 
ing to  the  business  of  William  Brown,  of  that  city. 

Another  line  that  was  running  first  to  Munroe  and  then 
to  Toledo,  in  connection  with  the  railroad,  from  Buffalo,  was 
formed  of  the  "Empire  State,"  the  "Northern  Indiana,"  and 
the  "Southern  Michigan,"  built  in  1852,  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  each 
being  300'x.36'10xl3'7,  with  beam  engines,  constructed  by  the 
Morgan  Iron  Works,  of  72"  by  12'  stroke.  The  former,  the 


LAKE    EKIE   AND    LAKE    ONTARIO.  375 

"Northern  Indiana,"  was  destroyed  by  fire  on  the  morning  of 
July  17th,  1856,  while  on  a  trip  from  Buffalo  to  Toledo;  50 
lives  were  lost.  The  "Empire  State"  having  been^laid  aside, 
the  "Western  Metropolis,"  321'x39'10xl4'2,  was  built,  in  1856, 
and  fitted  with  the  engine  from  the  "Empire  State."  Then, 
in  1857,  the  "City  of  Buffalo"  was  constructed  for  the  same 
line,  being  331'x40'xl5'8,  also  having  a  beam  engine  but  76" 
by  12'  stroke. 

From  Buffalo  to  Cleveland  there  was  also,  in  1853,  a 
line  of  large  side-wheel  steamboats,  comprising  the  "Crescent 
City"  and  the  "Queen  of  the  West,"  both  built  at  Buffalo  in 
1853.  The  former  was  320'x39'6xl4',  with  a  beam  engine  of 
80"  cylinder  by  12'  stroke,  built  by  the  Morgan  Iron  Works. 
The  "Queen  of  the  WTest"  was  324'x40'2xl4'7,  with  same  type 
of  engine  as  her  consort,  by  Henry  R.  Dunham  &  Co. 

Again,  in  1853,  there  was  another  line  of  these  large  side- 
wheel  steamboats  from  Buffalo  to  Sandusky,  the  "Mississippi" 
and  the  "St.  Lawrence,"  built  also  at  Buffalo  the  same  year. 
The  former  was  320'8x40'10xl4',  with  a  beam  engine,  built  by 
I.  P.  Morris  &  Co.,  Port  Richmond  Iron  Works,  Philadelphia, 
Pa.,  having  cylinder  of  81  inches  by  12  feet  stroke.  The  "St. 
Lawrence"  was  326'x40'xl4',  with  same  type  of  engine,  but 
built  by  the  Allaire  Works. 

The  boilers  for  the  "Southern  Michigan,"  the  "Northern 
Indiana,"  the  "Crescent  City,"  the  "Queen  of  the  West,"  and 
the  "St.  Lawrence,"  were  constructed  by  the  Shepherd  Iron 
Works,  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  These  works  were  established  in 
1847. 

These  were  all  fine-modeled  vessels,  were  handsomely  fur 
nished  for  the  passenger  travel  on  the  lakes,  and  most  of  them 
had  ample  power  of  their  engines  to  give  them  high  speed. 
They  were  in  external  appearance  like  to  the  larger  of  the 
Long  Island  Sound  boats  of  that  day,  with  an  increased  depth 
of  hold,  as  they  more  often  met  heavy  weather  than  the 
eastern  boats.  Another  feature  in  that  they  differed  from  the 
eastern  type,  but  was  shortly  after  adopted  by  the  latter,  was 
the  extension  of  the  joiner  work  on  the  forward  main  deck  to 
the  stem  of  the  vessel.  These  vessels  found  their  employment 
gone  when  the  railroads  bordering  on  the  lake  had  made  their 
connections,  in  1857.  They  continued  in  some  cases  for  a  year 


3  LAKE   ERIE   AND    LAKE    ONTARIO. 

or  so  longer,  but  in  the  course  of  two  years  so  muck  of  the 
passenger  travel  had  been  absorbed  by  the  railroads  that  it 
was  no  longer  profitable  to  run  them  on  their  routes,  and 
they  gradually  passed  to  other  employment  after  their  ma- 
chinery had  been  removed.  The  hull  of  the  "Western  World" 
was  used  for  a  floating  dry  dock  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  that  of  the 
"Mississippi"  was  used  for  a  similar  purpose  at  the  same  city; 
also  one  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  another  at  Erie,  Pa.  The  "St. 
Lawrence"  was  altered  to  a  barge,  the  "City  of  Buffalo"  to  a 
propeller,  and  the  "Western  Metropolis"  converted  to  a  bark. 
To  such  base  uses  had  a  fine  fleet  of  steamboats  come  while 
yet  in  serviceable  condition.  The  engines  of  these  vessels 
subsequently  were  sent  to  the  Atlantic  coast.  James  Raynor, 
the  promoter  of  the  Star  line  to  New  Orleans,  securing  three 
of  them,  that  of  the  "Mississippi,"  for  the  "Guiding  Star"; 
that  from  the  "Crescent  City"  for  the  "Morning  Star,"  and 
that  from  the  "Queen  of  the  West"  for  the  "Evening  Star." 
The  engine  from  the  "St.  Lawrence"  was  placed  in  the  "Foh- 
Kien,"  at  New  York;  the  "Southern  Michigan,"  in  the  "Thomas 
Cornell,"  on  the  Hudson  River;  that  from  the  "Western 
World"  to  the  "Fire  Queen,"  while  that  from  the  "City  of 
Buffalo"  went  into  the  "Morro  Castle,"  and  the  "Plymouth 
Rock"  to  steamer  "Plymouth  Rock,"  for  China  waters,  and 
from  the  "Western  Metropolis"  to  steamship  "Western  Metrop- 
olis," on  Atlantic  coast,  and  built  at  Brooklyn  in  1863. 

In  1856,  there  were  on  all  the  Northern  lakes  107  side- 
wheel  steamboats  and  135  propellers,  and  1,006  sailing  vessels, 
none  smaller  than  schooner  rigged.  This  was  a  large  increase 
in  five  years. 

The  first  compound  engine  on  the  lakes  was  in  the 
"Oregon,"  built  in  1846;  hull,  200'x28'6x— ,  with  a  pair  of  com- 
pound engines,  built  at  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  of  the  "Clipper"  type, 
western-river  style,  having  cylinders  24  inches  and  48  inches 
by  9  feet  stroke  each,  with  six  boilers,  and  water  wheels 
28'xlO'.  This  vessel  was  destroyed  by  fire  at  Chicago  in  1849. 
The  next  was  the  "Buckeye  State,"  built  in  1850,  and  run  from 
Buffalo  to  Cleveland.  Hull  was  282'x32'xl3' ;  engine,  annular 
cylinder,  compound  beam;  small  cylinder,  37  inches  diameter; 
large  cylinder,  80  inches  diameter,  with  a  stroke  of  11  feet. 
Steam  was  furnished  bv  three  flue-return  tubular  boilers.  In- 


LAKE   ERIE  AND   LAKE   ONTARIO.  377 

itial  steam  pressure  in  high-pressure  cylinder  was  50  Ibs. 
Machinery  was  built  at  the  Allaire  Works,  New  York  City, 
from  designs  of  John  Baird  and  Erastus  W.  Smith,  engineers. 
Water  wheels,  35'x9'3. 

It  was  on  Lake  Erie  where  the  compound  propeller 
engine  for  the  merchant  service  in  this  country  first  took  form. 
This  does  not  include  the  yacht  "Octavia."  The  first  engines 
were  those  altered  from  simple  condensing  engines  by  the 
addition  of  a  small  cylinder,  in  1867,  under  the  Perry  &  Lay 
patent.  The  first  new  engine  of  that  type  built  was  placed  in 
the  "Jay  Gould,"  in  1869.  These  were  "Steeple"  compounds. 
The  first  fore  and  aft  compound  engine  on  the  lakes  was  placed 
by  the  Globe  Iron  Works,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  the  propeller 
"Egyptian,"  built  at  Black  River,  Ohio,  in  1873.  The  King  Iron 
Works,  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  in  1875,  built  one  of  the  same  type 
for  the  yacht  "Orizaba,"  that  is  still  in  commission.  The 
pioneers  of  the  triple-expansion  type  of  engine  on  the  lakes 
were  those  in  the  "Cambria,"  built  by  the  Globe  Iron  Works 
Company,  and  the  "Koumania,"  built  by  S.  F.  Hodge  &  Co.,  at 
Detroit,  Michigan,  both  completed  in  1887.  For  the  quadruple- 
expansion  type,  two  came  out  in  1894,  the  "Northwest,"  by  the 
Globe  Iron  Works  Company,  and  the  "Unique,"  by  the  Frontier 
Iron  Works,  of  Detroit,  Michigan. 

Capt.  Harry  Whitaker,  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  obtained  a  patent 
October  18th,  1853,  for  the  "direct  application  of  the  crank 
outside  the  hull  to  side-screw  propellers  .  .  .  combined 
with  high-pressure  engine."  The  first  application  under  this 
patent  was  in  1855,  to  the  side-wheel  steamer  "Baltic,"  whose 
hull  was  221'x30'xl2'  depth  of  hold,  with  originally  a  high 
pressure  engine,  35-inch  cylinder  by  8  feet  stroke.  In  the  place 
of  this  engine  there  were  a  pair  of  high-pressure  engines  of 
26  inches  by  36  inches,  fitted  on  each  side  of  the  vessel,  to  drive 
a  screw  propeller  of  about  13  feet  diameter.  In  1856,  Arthur 
Edwards,  the  owner  of  the  vessel,  wrote  to  the  designer  of  the 
machinery,  in  part:  "She  has  not  broken  her  machinery  nor 
met  with  any  accident  during  the  whole  time  of  two  seasons. 
She  now  carries  double  the  freight  and  runs  with  less  than 
half  the  fuel,  and  at  a  much  higher  rate  of  speed.  Notwith- 
standing her  present  engines  rate  60  per  cent,  less  power  than 
her  former  engine,  she  now  runs  with  45  Ibs.  pressure  of  steam 


378  LAKE  ERIE  AND  LAKE  ONTARIO. 

instead  of  90  Ibs.  usually  worked  in  her  paddle-wheel  engine. 
,-.»..  The  application  of  side  propellers  gives  great  deck 
room  for  carrying  deck  load,  and  stability  to  the  boat  that  is 
not  obtained  by  any  other  means  of  propulsion.  She  has  not 
damaged  freight  to  the  amount  of  one  dollar  for  the  last  two 
seasons,  yet  she  has  experienced  some  of  the  heaviest  gales 
upon  our  lakes  with  heavy  deck  loads  of  freight  and  live  stock." 
An  engineer  who  was  on  the  lakes  at  the  time  and  knew  the 
"Baltic"  and  her  machinery  very  well,  says:  "The  'Baltic'  was 
a  freighter;  when  running  light  was  very  fast,  and  when 
loaded  was  very  slow."  This  would  seem  to  be  the  results 
obtained  in  all  four  applications  of  this  mode  of  propulsion. 
The  next  experiment  along  this  line  was  on  the  "Eureka,"  or 
"Charlotte  VanderbiJt,"  that  run  on  the  Saugerties  route  on 
the  Hudson  Kiver,  and  given  on  another  page. 

In  1864,  Wright  &  Whitaker  constructed  the  "Com.  Perry" 
for  the  Revenue  Marine  Service  on  the  lakes.  The  vessel  was 
166'x23'6xlO',  with  a  draft  of  6'6".  There  were  two  engines 
to  each  propeller  wheel  of  18  inches  diameter  and  24  inches 
stroke  each,  and  located  about  12  feet  apart.  The  two  pro- 
pellers were  each  13  feet  diameter  and  one-third  submerged. 
Steam  was  furnished  by  two  Whitaker  drop  tube  vertical 
boilers,  18'xl)',  intended  for  a  steam  pressure  of  90  pounds. 
One  of  the  engineers  who  was  on  the  vessel  says:  "When  any 
sea  was  on  one  could  not  stand  watch  in  the  engine  room  on 
account  of  the  sea  swashing  over  everything  in  the  room,  com- 
ing in  by  the  way  of  the  holes  left  for  the  cylinders  and  running- 
out  the  lattice  floor.  Our  ordinary  cruising  speed  was  9  knots, 
yet  1  have  driven  her  at  a  rate  of  14  knots  and  16  knots,  but  at 
the  expense  of  a  large  consumption  of  fuel.  The  boilers  were 
worked  under  a  pressure  of  120  Ibs.  to  150  Ibs.  steam  at  times. 
The  vessel  was  thought  only  fit  for  a  mill  pond,  as  the  opera- 
tion of  the  engines  was  anything  but  comfortable."  The  noise 
from  the  four  exhaust  pipes  with  the  four  short  exhausts  from 
the  engines  was  similar  to  the  noise  from  the  machinery  of  a 
saw  mill.  The  vessel  did  sonie  good  service  on  the  lakes,  and 
was  finally  placed  out  of  commission  about  1880. 

The  steamboat  "Water  Witch,"  built  in  1861,  hull  dimen- 
sions, 170'x26'x — ,  had  a  beam-propeller  engine  geared  to  the 
propeller  shaft,  fitted  in  the  vessel  by  the  Detroit  Locomotive 


LAKE   ERIE  AND   LAKE   ONTARIO.  379 

Works.  Wheel  was  9'  diameter  by  18'  pitch,  making  75  to  80 
revolutions.  The  vessel  was  lost,  in  1863,  on  Lake  Huron. 
There  had  been  four  or  five  of  this  same  type  of  engines  built  at 
New  York  just  prior  to  this  date. 

The  Detroit  and  Cleveland  Steam  Navigation  Company 
operated  two  high-pressure  steamboats  in  1850,  named  "South- 
erner" and  "Baltimore,"  for  two  years.  The  former  was  170'x 
27'10xll'6,  with  an  engine  of  27  inches  cylinder  by  8  feet 
stroke,  and  five  boilers;  and  the  latter  was  169'x26'xll'4,  with 
an  engine  of  24  inches  cylinder  by  8  feet  stroke,  and  five  boilers. 
During  1852,  other  interests  had  the  "Forest  City"  built  for 
the  route,  of  about  the  same  size  as  the  former  vessels.  The 
same  year  the  "St.  Louis"  and  the  "Samuel  Ward"  were  added 
to  the  service.  The  former  was  185'x27'xl2'6,  with  a  low- 
pressure  engine,  44-inch  cylinder  by  9  feet  stroke,  and  the 
latter  173'x25'6x9'4,  with  an  engine  of  40"xlO'  stroke.  The 
"Cleveland,"  built  in  1852,  was  added  the  same  year,  being 
180'x28'xll'8,  with  an  engine  50"xlO'.  The  "May  Queen," 
built  in  1853,  and  the  "Cleveland,"  were  the  only  steamboats 
operated  on  this  line  until  1855,  when  the  "Ocean"  was  added. 
From  1856  to  1862  the  "May  Queen"  and  the  "Ocean"  filled 
the  service  between  the  two  cities,  and  from  1864  to  1867,  the 
"City  of  Cleveland"  and  the  "Morning  Star"  were  on  the  route, 
and  from  1867  the  "R,  N.  Rice,"  built  that  year,  run  with  the 
"Northwest"  until  1868,  when  the  Detroit  Steamboat  Company 
was  incorporated,  and  the  same  steamers  run  until  1877, 
when  the  "R.  N.  Rice"  was  partially  burned.  The  same  year 
the  com pam-  had  built  by  Kirby  Bros,  their  first  iron-hull 
vessel,  the  "City  of  Detroit  No.  1,"  the  hull  being  250'x36'xl4'C>, 
with  a  beam  engine  62"xll/  stroke,  and,  with  the  "Northwest," 
filled  this  route  until  1883.  The  "City  of  Cleveland"  was  built 
in  1880,  a  duplicate  of  "Detroit  No.  1,"  and  run  on  the  Mackinac 
route  until  the  "City  of  Mackinac"  was  completed,  in  1883. 
This  vessel  run  one  year,  and  her  engine  was  then  "com- 
pounded" by  W.  &  A.  Fletcher  Co.,  of  New  York,  by  the  adding 
of  a  high-pressure  cylinder  just  in  the  rear  of  low-pressure 
cylinder,  and  connected  through  its  piston  to  same  end  of  the 
beam.  In  1889,  the  "City  of  Detroit  No.  2"  was  constructed 
of  steel,  being  the  largest  of  the  fleet  at  that  time,  and  with 
all  the  improvements,  Since  then  there  has  been  added  "City 


380  LAKE  ERIE  AND  LAKE  ONTARIO. 

of  Alpena,"  and  "City  of  Mackinac,"  both  constructed  in  1893, 
at  Wyandotte,  Mich.,  of  steel,  having  compound  beam  engines 
and  costing  over  f  300,000  each.  These  were  built  to  take  the 
place  of  steamers  of  the  same  name  that  were  sold  to  the 
Cleveland  and  Buffalo  Transit  Co. 

They  were  not  so  progressive  in  the  introduction  of 
iron-hull  vessels  on  the  lakes  as  they  were  on  the 
Atlantic  coast,  for  it  was  not  until  1861  that  David 
Bell,  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  constructed  the  screw  steamer 
"Merchant,"  for  Lake  Erie  service.  This  industry  did  not 
show  any  healthy  growth  until  1871,  when  the  King  Iron 
Works,  the  successors  of  the  Shepherd  Iron  Works,  built  four 
screw  steamers  for  the  Anchor  line,  and  about  the  same  time 
the  Wyandotte  yard,  of  the  Detroit  Dry  Dock  Co.,  built  the 
"E.  B.  Ward."  Since  1890,  iron  ship  building  on  Lake  Erie 
and  Lake  Michigan  has  made  marvelous  strides,  and  some  of 
the  vessels  constructed  there  in  the  last  few  years  have  been 
for  Atlantic  coast  service,  being  sent  through  the  canal  to  the 
coast,  some  cases  in  sections,  and  have  proved  a  credit  to  their 
builders. 

On  Lake  Ontario  a  grant  was  obtained  in  1815  from  the 
representatives  of  Kobert  Fulton  and  his  associates,  who  held 
the  exclusive  right,  under  the  legislative  grant,  to  steamboat 
navigation  on  the  waters  of  the  State  of  New  York,  for 
the  right  to  navigate  this  body  of  water. 

The  "Ontario"  was  built  at  Sacketts  Harbor,  N.  Y.,  in  1816, 
and  commenced  to  run  between  Ogdensburg  and  Lewiston 
early  in  the  season  of  the  next  year.  The  vessel  was  112  feet 
long,  28  feet  beam,  and  8  feet  3  inches  depth  of  hold.  She 
was  fitted  with  masts  and  sails  as  vessels  of  that  period.  The 
engine  was  a  lever  beam  built  by  Daniel  Dod,  at  Elizabeth- 
town,  N.  J.,  having  a  34-inch  cylinder  and  4  feet  stroke,  the 
castings  being  furnished  by  Robert  McQueen,  of  New  York 
City.  Steam  was  furnished  by  two  single-flue  boilers.  After 
the  original  engine  had  done  service  for  twelve  years,  it  was 
removed,  and  one  built  by  S.  Sexton,  low-pressure,  of  28  H.  P. 
substituted.  The  vessel  was  broken  up  about  1835. 

The  "Sophia"  was  built  the  year  after  the  "Ontario."  The 
boat  was  smaller  than  her  predecessor,  being  of  but  50  tons — 
67'S  long  by  18'2  by  4'7  hold,  and  was  built  at  Sacketts  Harbor, 


LAKE  ERIE  AND   LAKE   ONTARIO.  381 

by  A.  S.  Roberts  for  E.  Camp  &  Co.,  the  owners  of  the 
"Ontario";  had  a  low-pressure  engine,  built  by  James  P. 
Allaire,  of  New  York.  The  next  steam  vessel  was  the  "Martha 
Ogden,"  of  49  tons;  was  built  at  Sacketts  Harbor,  in  1823,  by 
A.  S.  Eoberts,  for  L.  Ogden  &  Co.,  and  was  74'3xl7'10x4'2 
depth  of  hold.  Was  also  fitted  with  one  of  James  P.  Allaire's 
low-pressure  engines,  of  22  H.  P.  This  steamboat  continued 
in  service  until  1832,  when  she  went  ashore  and  was  lost  for 
further  use.  In  1831  the  "Brownville"  was  built  for  D.  Griffen 
&  Co. ;  was  85'10x20'x7'4  and  fitted  with  a  low-pressure  engine. 
In  the  same  year  the  "Charles  Carroll"  was  built  at  Sacketts 
Harbor,  by  C.  Case,  for  the  same  parties  as  owned  the  "Browu- 
ville,"  and  was  81'8xl4'6x6'3  hold;  was  fitted  with  a  low-pres- 
sure engine,  built  by  J.  Dod.  In  the  next  year  the  "William 
A  very"  was  also  built  at  Sacketts  Harbor,  by  the  same  builder, 
and  for  the  same  parties  as  the  preceding  vessels,  and  was 
131'x21'x7'4 ;  was  fitted  with  a  low-pressure  engine.  All  these 
vessels  were  used  to  ply  to  and  from  Sacketts  Harbor  and  the 
lake  ports. 

The  "United  States"  was  built  at  Oswegatchie,  in  1831, 
by  William  Capes,  for  the  "Ontario  and  St.  Lawrence  Steam- 
boat Co."  Was  143'x26'7xll',  and  was  fitted  with  a  low- 
pressure  engine,  40-inch  cylinder  by  8  feet  stroke,  built  by  W. 
A  very  &  Co.  This  vessel  continued  in  service  until  1843,  when 
it  was  broken  up  at  Oswego,  her  engine  being  put  in  the 
"Rochester."  This  vessel  was  not  used  on  the  St.  Lawrence 
River  after  the  "Patriot  War,"  of  1837,  as  she  took  a  part  in 
that  affair,  and  having  become  obnoxious  to  the  Canadians, 
it  was  considered  not  advisable  to  usje  her  on  that  part  of  the 
route.  This  company  was  incorporated  by  the  New  York  legis- 
lature in  January,  1831,  with  a  capital  of  flOO,000,  and  the 
"United  States"  was  their  first  vessel,  and  for  size  and  accom- 
modations far  surpassed  anything  that  had  previously  been  in 
service  on  Lake  Ontario.  In  1833  the  "Black  Hawk"  was 
built,  at  French  Creek,  by  G.  S.  Weeks,  for  William  Baker  & 
Co.,  for  use  on  the  St.  Lawrence  River.  This  vessel  was 
106'xl8'xl7',  and  was  fitted  with  a  low-pressure  engine  of 
30  H.  P.  The  "Oswego,"  for.  Lake  Ontario  service,  was  built 
in  1833,  at  Oswego;  was  143'x20'x7'8.  Her  low-pressure  en- 
gine, built  by  Avery  &  Co.,  was  transferred  in  1839  to  the 


LAKE  ERIE  AND  LAKE  ONTARIO. 

'"St.  Lawrence."  In  1835  the  "Oneida"  was  built  at  Oswego. 
Was  132'xl9'x9'.  Had  a  low-pressure  engine,  and  was  com- 
manded by  one  of  her  owners.  Some  years  later  she  was  on  Lake 
Erie,  where  she  was  finally  lost.  There  was  also  on  the  river 
the  "Telegraph,"  of  131'xl8'9x8'.  Was  converted  into  a  sail- 
ing vessel  and  destroyed  by  fire  on  Lake  St.  Glair.  There  was  a 
small  boat  of  68  feet  long,  built  for  Black  Lake,  named 
"Rossie,"  having  a  high-pressure  engine  built  by  Starbuck  & 
Son,  Troy,  N.  Y. 

In  1839  the  "St.  Lawrence"  was  built  at  Oswego,  N.  Y., 
and  in  1844  the  vessel  was  rebuilt  and  lengthened  to  180  feet 
long  by  23  feet,  and  about  11  feet  deep,  and  run  about  five 
years,  and  was  laid  up  at  Clayton,  N.  Y.,  in  1850.  The  engine 
came  out  of  the  "Oswego."  In  1842  the  American  line,  on 
Lake  Ontario,  running  from  Lewiston  to  Ogdensburg,  stop- 
ping at  Toronto  and  Kingston,  on  the  Canadian  shore,  and  at 
Rochester,  Oswego,  and  Sacketts  Harbor  on  the  American 
shore,  had  four  steamboats  in  operation,  the  "Rochester,"  that 
was  158'x27'xll',  with  high-pressure  engine,  28"x8';  "Lady  of 
the  Lake,"  of  about  the  same  size;  the  "Oneida,"  of  1835,  and 
the  "St.  Lawrence."  The  time  consumed  by  the  trip  from 
Ogdensburg  to  Lewiston  was  24  to  26  hours. 

In  1849  the  U.  S.  Mail  line,  or  American  Steamboat  Co., 
and  in  1859  the  Ontario  Steamboat  Company  had  the  "Nor- 
therner," the  "Ontario,"  and  the  "Bay  State."  The  "Ontario** 
was  222'x32'xl2',  with  a  beam  engine  50"xll'.  The  "Nor- 
therner" was  200'x37'xl2',  with  a  beam  engine  60  inches  by 
11  feet;  and  "Bay  State,"  200'x27'xl()',  beam  engine  40"xll'. 
The  "New  York"  was  added  in  1852,  being  223'x33'xl2',  with 
beam  engine  60  inches  by  12  feet.  The  building  of  railroads 
along  the  lake  destroyed  the  business  of  this  line  in  the  same 
way,  and  about  the  same  time — a  few  years  later — as  it  caused 
the  withdrawal  from  active  service  of  those  large  side-wheelers 
on  Lake  Erie,  but  with  this  difference:  while  the  latter  had 
their  engines  removed  and  mostly  sent  to  New  York  City,  to 
be  used  in  other  vessels,  the  former  had  an  outlet  with  the 
vessels  intact  by  running  the  rapids  of  the  St.  Lawrence  to 
the  Atlantic  coast,  and  thence  to  an  American  port.  In  1860 
the  "New  York"  and  the  "Northerner,"  and  in  1863  the  "Suf- 
folk" x  "Bay  State,"  and  in  1865  the  "Ontario,"  were  all 


LAKE  ERIE  AND  LAKE  ONTARIO.  383 

brought  safely  to  ports  on  the  Atlantic  coast.  The  "New 
York"  saw  considerable  service  on  the  New  England  coast  and 
on  the  Delaware  River  and  bay,  and  was  laid  aside  from  fur- 
ther service  about  1893.  The  "Ontario"  and  the  "Bay  State" 
were  sold  for  foreign  service  about  1867.  Most  of  these 
engines  were  built  at  the  Morgan  Iron  Works,  New  York  City. 
Some  months  prior  to  the  "New  York"  running  the  rapids,  in 
1860 — in  June,  1858 — there  were  two  Canadian-built  side- 
wheel  steamboats  that  were  larger  than  the  "New  York,"  each 
being  298'x30'x9',  that  ran  the  rapids  and  came  to  New  York. 
They  were  named  originally  "America"  and  "Canada."  There 
was  American  capital  invested  in  their  building,  by  the  Great 
Western  R.  R.  Co.  They  had  beam  engines,  of  70"xl2',  con- 
structed by  H.  R.  Dunham  &  Co.  After  they  arrived  in  New 
York  they  were  altered  for  coast  service — for  they  were  much 
like  our  Long  Island  Sound  steamboats — by  cutting  off  part  of 
their  guards  to  three  feet  in  width,  and  building  up  the  struc- 
ture on  the  main  deck  more  solid  and  firmly,  and  adding  heavy 
hog  frames  for  the  vessel  to  withstand  the  severe  weather 
encountered  on  the  coast.  One  vessel  was  chartered  to  the 
Quartermaster's  Bureau,  to  transport  troops,  and  the  name 
changed  to  "Coatzacoalcos,"  and  it  has  been  an  enigma  how 
this  vessel,  so  ill-adapted  to  the  work,  could  have  gone  through 
the  many  trying  situations  in  which  she  was  often  placed, 
without  greater  damage  than  she  received.  A  special  Act 
of  Congress  wfas  obtained  to  allow  her  an  American  register. 
Her  charters  to  the  government  run  from  March  16th,  1861, 
to  September  17th,  1862,  at  from  f  1,100  to  $1,400  per  day. 
After  the  vessel  was  placed  on  the  Nicaragua  route,  where  she 
remained  until  1866,  her  name  having  been  changed  to  the 
original  one  of  "America,"  the  vessel  was  rebuilt,  her  bottom 
being  planked  over  the  original  hull,  and  strengthening  the 
bulkheads  and  hull  in  general.  She  was  then  sent  around  to 
the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  came  near  being  lost  on  the  voyage,  but 
was  finally  lost  by  fire  while  lying  in  the  harbor  of  San  Juan 
del  Sur,  Nicaragua,  on  April  11,  1869.  The  "Canada"  was 
purchased  by  Hargous  &  Co.,  renamed  the  "Mississippi,"  run 


384:  LAKE  ERIE  AND  LAKE  ONTARIO. 

on  their  Tehuantepec  route  from  New  Orleans  for  a  year  or 
more,  and  history  fceems  to  have  swallowed  up  her  record  after 
this,  though  it  is  thought  she  was  sold  for  service  in  South 
American  waters,  from  Panama  to  Valparaiso.  Marshall  O. 
Roberts,  of  New  York,  was  interested  in  these  vessels. 

An  account  is  thus  given  of  the  "America"  and  the  "Can- 
ada" running  the  rapids  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  "The  fine  steam- 
ers 'Canada'  and  'America'  have  been  brought  safely  down  the 
rapids  of  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the  ocean.  They  cost  half  a 
million  dollars,  and  were  found  to  be  worth  nothing  above  the 
rapids.  In  passing  down  the  rapids  they  made  some  leaps 
seven  or  eight  feet  in  height.  For  vessels  300  feet  long  and 
6  or  8  feet  draft,  this  was  regarded  as  a  neck  or  nothing  ex- 
periment. The  first  rapids — the  Long  Sault — are  seven  miles 
long  and  extremely  rough,  the  boiling  water  heaving  up  from 
8  to  12  feet  high  in  places,  and  dashing  about  the  rocks  like 
the  ocean  in  a  violent  storm.  This  passage  was  made  in  fifteen 
minutes.  The  rapids  of  Split  Rock  were  next  in  the  way. 
Here  it  was  necessary  to  make  a  curve  almost  at  right  angles 
within  a  space  only  two-thirds  the  length  of  the  same.  The 
pilot,  in  the  Long  Sault  rapids,  with  the  dexterity  of  a  skilful 
player  at  billiards  making  his  carom,  let  the  bow  of  the  boat 
strike  a  rock  forcibly  on  her  starboard  side,  thereby  throwing 
her  stern  into  the  center  of  the  channel  by  the  only  practical 
method,  and  permitting  her  to  pass  through  in  safety.  Next 
the  Cedar  rapids  were  reached.  They  were  passed  at  the  same 
rate,  the  boat  striking  alike  aft  and  forward,  but  no  substantial 
injury  was  obtained.  The  Lachine  rapids,  near  Montreal, 
were  the  next.  Here  the  'Canada'  again  struck.  The  rocks 
here  are  exceedingly  bold  and  present  a  rough  and  ragged  sur- 
face, but  were  passed  in  safety,  and  in  a  short  time  the  vessel 
and  her  bold  mariners  glided  placidly  and  exultingly  through 
the  abutments  of  the  Victoria  bridge." 

There  was  no  further  running  of  these  rapids  by  American 
vessels,  or  those  for  use  on  our  coast,  until  June,  1891,  when 
the  wThaleback  "Colby"  shot  the  rapids  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  on 
her  wray  from  Duluth,  Minn.,  to  the  Atlantic  coast.  This  vessel 


LAKE   ERIE   AND   LAKE   ONTARIO.  385 

was  256'x36'x22',  and  drew  6'  9"  aft  and  5'  6"  forward.  The 
first  running  of  these  rapids  by  American  steamers  was  by  two 
revenue  cutters,  about  1848  or  1850,  named  the  "Jefferson"  and 
the  "Dallas."  How  it  was  done  will  be  found  in  the  next 
volume,  under  the  head  of  "Iron  Shipbuilding." 

Since  1870  more  than  one  attempt  has  been  made  to  estab- 
lish an  American  line  on  the  St.  Lawrence  River  for  the  sum- 
mer travel  exclusively,  but  they  have  all  ended  in  a  failure  to 
succeed. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

COAST  OF  MAINE 

T  was  not  until  July  7th,  1823,  about  sixteen  years 
after  the  successful  introduction  of  steam  vessels 
in  this  country,  that  the  "Patent,"  the  first  reg- 
ular steamboat  in  this  section  of  the  United 
States,  arrived  at  Portland,  Maine.  At  this  date 
about  one  hundred  were  in  service  on  the  Western  rivers,  and 
an  equal  number  had  been  constructed  on  the  Atlantic  coast. 
On  May  22d  of  the  following  year  the  "Maine"  arrived  at 
Belfast.  This  vessel  is  generally  described  as  consisting  of  the 
hulls  of  two  schooners,  with  a  water  wheel  in  space  between 
the  hulls,  and  beams  laid  across  and  decked  over. 

\j  The  Kennebec  Steam  Navigation  Company  was  organized 
in  1823,  and  the  same  year  they  bought  the  "Patent"  and  put 
her  on  the  line  between  Boston,  Portland  and  Belfast.  The 
vessel  was  about  100  feet  long,  built  at  New  York  in  1823,  and 
had  her  machinery  fitted  on  board  by  Daniel  Dod,  who  was  one 
of  the  early  builders  of  marine  engines  at  New  York  and  the 
vicinity.  He  had  built  a  copper  boiler  for  this  vessel,  to  be 
worked  under  what  was  considered  high-pressure  steam  at  the 
time,  but  on  a  trial  of  the  machinery  on  May  9th,  1823,  the 
boiler  being  of  an  imperfect  design  for  the  pressure,  the  front 
head  was  blown  out  and  five  persons  killed  and  two  injured, 
among  the  former  being  the  constructor  of  the  machinery^  He 
had  also  built,  a  few  years  previous,  the  boilers  for  the  "Savan- 
nah," the  first  steamship  to  cross  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  The 
"Patent"  was  running  on  the  Penobscot  River  as  late  as  1835. 
The  company,  in  1826,  bought  the  "Legislator,"  that  was  in 
New  York  waters.  This  vessel  was  112'x23'x7',  with  a  square 
engine,  built  in  New  York  in  1825,  and  had  fallen  from  favor  by 
the  explosion  of  her  boiler  in  the  same  year,  while  lying  at  her 
wharf,  being  prepared  for  a  race  with  an  opposition  boat.  This 
vessel  run  for  two  years  when  the  business  of  the  company 


COAST    01*    MAINE.  38? 

was  closed  up  and  the  vessel  was  taken  back  to  New  York 
waters.  The  two  vessels  were  sold  at  auction  in  Boston  Feb- 
ruary, 1828. 

In  May,  1824,  there  was  a  small  steam  brig  named  the 
"New  York"  said  to  have  been  a  sailing  vessel  for  a  very  short 
time,  and  power  added  afterwards.  This  is  doubtful.  This 
vessel  had  been  in  use  between  New  York  and  Norfolk,  Va., 
and  at  the  date  named  was  the  property  of  Mr.  Bartlett,  of 
Eastport,  and  running  on  the  coast  of  Maine.  The  vessel  wras 
built  in  1822,  at  Norfolk,  Va.,  by  W.  A.  Hunter,  for  George, 
William  C.,  and  N.  S.  Rowland,  and  others.  Shortly  after 
coming  on  the  Maine  coast,  and  while  on  a  trip  from  Bath,  and 
in  the  vicinity  of  Owl's  Head,  it  collided  with  the  "Patent,"  but 
the  damage  being  slight,  both  proceeded  on  their  way.  The 
"New  York,"  when  eight  miles  to  the  eastward  of  Petit  Menan 
light,  was  discovered  to  be  on  fire.  There  were  over  thirty 
persons  in  all  on  board,  they  being  saved  by  the  boats,  but  the 
vessel  proved  a  total  loss.  The  loss  of  this  vessel  was  caused 
from  the  want  of  proper  protection  to  the  woodwork  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  boiler  and  the  want  of  fire  buckets.  This 
occurred  on  August  20th,  1826. 

Vrhe  "Connecticut"  and  the  "Chancellor  Livingston,"  after 
being  withdrawn  from  the  New  York  and  Providence  route, 
in  1829  and  1833  respectively,  being  succeeded  by  more  modern 
and  powerful  steamboats,  were  brought  to  this  coast.  ^(They 
were  "old  timers"  even  at  that  date,  and  it  would  appear  they 
were  the  pioneers  of  the  Boston  &  Portland  line.  The  hull  of 
the  latter  was  broken  up  or  dismantled  in  1835,  and  her 
engine  transferred  to  a  new  hull  that  had  been  built  by  Nathan 
Dyer,  Jr.,  of  Portland,  for  the  Cumberland  Steam  Navigation 
Company,  to  run  between  Boston  and  Portland.  The  neW  vessel 
was  named  the  "Portland,"  and  was  163'x27'xlO'7,  with  a 
square  engine,  56-inch  cylinder  and  6  feet  stroke.  For  a  por- 
tion of  the  time  the  veteran  steamboat  owner  of  Portland,  Capt. 
John  B.  Coyle,  was  engineer  of  this  vessel.  She  was  considered 
at  this  time  something  superior  to  any  steam  vessel  that  had 
been  on  the  coast  of  Maine.  As  late  as  1850,  this  vessel  was  in 
service  on  the  coast. 

In  1835  the  "New  England,"  that  had  been  on  the  New 
York  and  Hartford  route,  was  purchased  by  a  company  formed 


388  COAST    OF    MAINE. 

at  Gardiner,  Me.,  and  placed  on  the  route  to  the  Kennebec 
River,  where  she  ran  until  May  31st,  1838,  when  she  was  lost 
by  collision  with  a  schooner  when  fifteen  miles  east-south-east 
of  Boon  Island.  This  vessel  was  certainly  unfortunate,  for  she 
left  the  Hartford  route  with  a  bad  name,  for  both  of  her  boilers 
exploded  at  one  time,  on  October  9th,  1833,  before  the  vessel 
was  one  year  old,  killing  and  scalding  several  persons.  The 
"Huntress"  took  her  place  to  Kennebec  River  points. 

During  these  early  days  of  steam  navigation,  many  of  the 
steamboats  ran  on  a  route  but  a  short  time,  either  for  want  of 
sufficient  capital  to  "grow  up  with  the  country,"  or  to  stand  a 
strong  competition.  Besides  the  extension  of  the  railroads  on 
the  coast  of  Maine  caused  an  inroad  on  the  business  of  the 
steamboats,  making  necessary  a  change  of  terminus  at  times. 

It  has  been  many  times  credited  to  Capt.  J.  B.  Coyle  of  the 
invention  of  a  fan  blower  to  be  applied  to  a  boiler  in  burning 
anthracite  coal,  and  that  the  application  as  made  on  the  "Port- 
land" was  the  first  case  where-  anthracite  coal  was  used  success- 
fully for  marine  purposes.  Capt.  Coyle,  in  a  letter  to  the 
author,  many  years  ago,  on  the  subject,  says:  "The  idea  of  a  fan 
blower  was  not  original  with  me,  for  I  had  known  of  its 
previous  application;  but  the  power  was  obtained  from  gears 
on  the  main  shaft,  and,  owing  to  the  irregularity  of  the  motion, 
the  awkwardness  of  such  an  arrangement  made  it  of  little  use." 
He  also  drove  the  blowers  by  a  belt  from  a  drum  on  the  main 
shaft.  They  were  able  to  burn  the  coal,  but  with  indifferent 
success.  The  blowers  for  the  "Portland"  were  made  by  John 
Sparrow,  of  Portland,  Maine. 

The  "McDonough,"  that  had  formerly  run  to  Hartford, 
Conn.,  from  New  York,  was  sent  around  to  Portland  in  the 
spring  of  1834,  where  she  remained  until  1836,  when  she  was 
withdrawn  for  a  time,  but  returned  again  in  1838.  Capt.  J.  B. 
Coyle  was  engineer  of  the  "McDonough"  in  1834.  This  ves- 
sel became  the  property  of  the  Cumberland  Steam  Navigation 
Company,  but  only  remained  here  a  few  years.  Her  length 
was  146  feet;  "square"  engine;  built  in  1826. 

Commodore  Vanderbilt  appears  to  have  taken  an  interest 
in  the  transportation  facilities  in  this  section  of  the  country 
in  1837,  for  he  placed  the  "Augusta"  on  the  Boston  and  Port- 
land route.  She  remained  for  a  short  time  only,  as  there  were 


COAST    OP    MAINE.  389 

better  boats  on  the  regular  line.  A  few  months  later  "C.  Van- 
derbilt,"  his  crack  boat  from  the  New  York  route,  was  brought 
around  to  subdue  the  natives.  This  boat  was  175'x24'x9',  with 
a  beam  engine  of  41"xlO'.  He  found  his  match  very  closely  in 
the  "Huntress,'-  she  being  172'x23'x9'6,  with  beam  engine 
36"xl2',  while  running  for  several  months  to  Hallowell.  The 
same  company  who  owned  and  run  the  "Huntress"  purchased 
the  "J.  W.  Richmond" — that  had  been  on  the  Stonington  line 
on  Long  Island  Sound,  and  a  thorn  in  the  side  of  Com.  Van- 
derbilt,  for  she  was  a  successful  rival  to  his  "Lexington"  on 
the  opposition  line — in  March,  1840,  for  $52,500,  for  their  Ken- 
nebec  River  route.  This  vessel  ran  with  the  "Huntress"  until 
September  30th,  1843,  when  she  was  burned  at  her  dock  at 
Hallowell.  Her  dimensions  were  202'x24'xlO',  with  a  "square" 
engine  of  48  inches  by  11  feet  stroke.  This  was  without  doubt 
the  largest  and  most  able  steamboat  on  the  coast  of  Maine 
to  that  period.  All  of  the  passenger  boats  along  the  coast  at 
this  early  date  were  open  on  the  forward  main  deck,  and,  like 
our  river  boats,  the  height  between  decks  was  no  greater  than 
was  deemed  necessary.  Our  dwellings  at  that  date  had  low 
ceilings,  and  the  steamboats  had  little  headroom. 

From  1844  to  1846  there  appears  to  have  been  plenty  of 
excitement  to  the  Kennebec  River,  via  Portland,  for  the 
People's  line  was  opened  with  the  "John  Marshall,"  a  new 
boat  built  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  that  ended  in  a  consolidation  of 
all  the  interests. 

Memenon  Sanford,  who  had  become  considerable  of  a  fac- 
tor in  the  steam  navigation  interests  at  this  period  on  the 
coast,  was  at  an  early  date  interested  in  the  Connecticut  River 
Steamboat  Company,  and  their  first  vessel  of  any  size  being  the 
"New  England,"  built  in  1833,  succeeded  by  the  "Bunker  Hill" 
and  the  "Charter  Oak,"  the  two  latter  being  taken  to  the  Maine 
coast  about  1844.  Capt.  M.  Sanford  commanded  the  "Charter 
Oak,"  and  Capt.  T.  B.  Sanford  the  "Bunker  Hill,"  while  on  the 
Hartford  line.  From  this  transfer  of  location  began  what 
subsequently  became  the  Sanford  line.  He  may  have  been  in- 
terested in  the  change  of  the  "McDonough"  from  the  Hartford 
line  to  the  Maine  coast  prior  to  the  "New  England"  being 
purchased.  The  former  vessels  were  succeeded  by  the  "Kenne- 
bec" and  the  "Penobscot,"  and  later  by  the  "Admiral"  and  the 


z 


COAST    OF    MAINE.  391 

"Boston."  The  "Admiral"  was  put  in  service  June,  1847,  in 
place  of  the  "Portland."  The  business  at  this  date  was  in  a 
stage  of  development  consequent  partly  upon  the  extension  of 
the  railroads  along  the  coast,  and  the  rapid  settlement  of  that 
part  of  the  State.  Besides,  the  transportation  business  by 
water  was  controlled  by  men  of  larger  means  financially.  It 
took  a  few  years  for  matters  to  permanently  settle  to  a  change 
of  routes.  There  were  a  few  opposition  lines  from  1850  to  1860 
to  the  Kennebec  River  towns,  but  they  did  not  last  after  the 
demand  by  the  Navy  Department  and  the  Army  Department 
for  vessels  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war. 

There  was  a  very  good  boat  running  to  the  Kennebec 
River  from  1849  to  1854  named  the  "Ocean."  Her  dimensions 
were  220'x28'xll',  with  a  beam  engine  of  48  inches  by  11  feet. 
This  vessel  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  lower*  Boston  Harbor,  on 
November  24th,  1854,  by  collision  with  the  Cunard  steamship 
"Canada,"  by  which  the  stoves  and  lights  were  upset  and  the 
vessel  set  on  fire  and  burned  to  the  water's  edge.  Five  pas 
sengers  lost  their  lives  in  this  accident.  There  were  more  than 
100  passengers  saved  by  the  "Forest  City,"  the  "Boston,"  and 
the  "Eastern  State,"  that  .were  in  the  vicinity  at  the  time. 
The  former  was  then  running  to  Portland  and  the  "Boston"  to 
Bangor.  The  "Ocean"  was  at  this  time  owned  by  R.  K.  Page, 
of  Hallowell,  Nathaniel  Kimball,  and  the  owners  of  the  "John 
Marshall."  The  "Eastern  Queen"  subsequently  run  on  this 
line. 

In  1854  Samuel  Sneeden,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  built  for  the 
Maine  Steam  Navigation  Company,  for  the  Portland  and  Ban- 
gor service,  the  "Daniel  Webster."  She  is  reported  to  have 
been  better  fitted  and  furnished  for  the  passenger  travel  than 
any  steamboat  then  on  the  Maine  coast.  Her  dimensions  were 
240'x34'xll'  with  a  beam  engine  52  inches  by  11  feet  stroke. 
There  was  also  at  the  same  time  the  "Eastern  City"  built  in 
1852,  on  the  coast  and  occasionally  to  Bangor.  The  latter 
was  a  few  feet  shorter,  with  much  less  power  than  the  "Daniel 
Webster."  They  both  run  here  until  the  war  broke  out.  The 
"Eastern  City"  was  purchased  by  the  War  Department  Novem- 
ber 27th,  1861,  for  the  sum  of  $50,000,  and  name  changed  to 
"Cossack."  The  vessel  was  at  Baltimore  at  a  much  later  period, 
having  been  sold  by  the  government,  and  afterwards  on  the 


392  COAST.  OF    MAINE. 

Maine  coast,  and  at  a  later  date  was  sold  for  service  in  Cana- 
dian waters.  The  "Daniel  Webster"  had  four  charters  with 
the  War  Department,  each  lasting  about  six  months,  the  first 
two  charters  being  at  f  600  per  day  and  the  last  two  charters  at 
$300  per  day.  Is  it  any  surprise  that  there  was  a  large  bonded 
debt  after  the  war,  with  such  prices  paid  by  the  government? 
The  Webster's  name  was  changed  to  "Expounder"  while  in  the 
war  service.  Some  years  ago  she  was  sold  for  service  on  the 
St.  Lawrence  River,  and  her  name  changed  to  "Saguenay." 

There  was  a  small  steamboat  that  run  on  the  coast  from 
various  points,  built  at  New  York,  in  1846,  about  130  feet  long, 
and  named  "T.  F.  Secor,"  from  1848  to  1862,  when  chartered  by 
the  government.  She  was  burned  at  Hilton  Head,  May,  1863. 


The  Portland  Steam  Packet  Company  was  first  made  an 
organized  company  in  1843,  after  passing  through  many 
changes.  The  first  steamer  was  a  screw  propeller  constructed 
at  Portland,  and  named  the  "Commodore  Preble."  This  vessel 
was  about  15()'x24'x8'  deep,  and  run  alternate  days  between 
Portland  and  Boston,  when  the  next  year  the  company  had 
built  another  propeller  slightly  larger  than  the  first  and  named 
the  "General  Warren,"  for  the  same  service.  These  vessels 
had  each  a  pair  of  high-pressure  engines,  the  "Preble"  having 
cylinders  of  17  inches  diameter  and  24  inches  stroke,  and  the 
"Warren"  18  inches  diameter  and  24  inches  stroke.  Each 
vessel  was  fitted  with  a  propeller  7  feet  in  diameter.  These 
vessels  were  fitted  more  with  regard  to  freight  transportation, 
so  the  passenger  accommodations  were  very  limited.  It  was 
soon  found  necessary  to  have  vessels  of  a  different  character 
for  this  route,  and  accordingly  the  "John  Marshall"  was  pur- 
chased in  1847,  and  for  a  few  years  run  on  the  route  with  the 
propellers.  The  company  finding  their  business  increasing  so 
rapidly  had  constructed  for  them,  in  1850,  the  "St.  Lawrence," 
and,  two  years  later,  the  "Atlantic"  was  built,  when  the  "John 
Marshall"  and  the  propellers  were  disposed  of,  leaving  the  two 
new  boats  to  serve  the  business  of  the  route.  These  vessels 
were  each  216'x28'xlO',  with  engines  of  40"  by  10  ',  not  large 
power  for  such  size  vessels  on  such  a  route.  The  "Forest  City" 
was  built  in  1.854,  and  the  "Lewiston"  in  1856,  and  the  "Mont- 


COAST    OF    MAINE.  393 

real"  in  1857.  These  boats  were  about  235  feet  long  and  33 
feet  beam,  with  engines  52"xll'  stroke.  The  "Lewiston"  was 
sold  to  the  P.  B.  &  M.  S.  Co.,  while  the  "Montreal"  was  burned 
at  her  wharf,  August  9th,  1873.  About  1865  the  "John  Brooks" 
was  purchased  in  New  York,  having  formerly  run  on  the  New 
York  and  Bridgeport  route,  and  served  the  company  well  until 
about  1890,  when  she  was  laid  aside.  Since  then  the  company 
have  added  the  "Tremont,"  in  1883;  the  "Portland,"  built  at 
Bath,  in  1890;  the  "Bay  State,"  built  at  Bath  in  1895,  and  their 
first  steel-hull  propeller,  the  "Gov.  Dingley,"  in  1900,  built  at 
Chester,  Pa.  The  "Tremont"  was  sold  to  the  Joy  Line  in  1900, 
and  the  "Portland"  was  lost  in  the  vicinity  of  Cape  Cod,  it  is 
thought,  on  November  27th,  1898,  where  every  soul  on  board 
was  lost. 

The  best  time  that  has  been  made  between  Boston  and 
Portland  has  been  made  by  the  "Gov.  Dingley."  Between 
Boston  and  Portland,  on  February  7th,  1900,  in  6  hours  and 
18  minutes;  between  Boston  and  Portland,  on  March  22d,  1900, 
in  6  hours  and  18  minutes;  and  between  Portland  and  Boston, 
on  July  1st,  1900,  in  5  hours  and  55  minutes,  with  fresh  head 
wind,  and  four  boilers.  Average  time,  with  three  boilers,  7 
hours  and  30  minutes. 

After  the  "Daniel  Webster"  and  the  "Eastern  City"  had 
been  withdrawn,  the  Kennebec  Steamboat  Company  had  built 
the  "Star  of  the  East"  in  1866,  at  New  York,  for  the  Boston 
and  Kennebec  River  route,  and  was  the  only  steamboat  on  the 
route  until  the  "Kennebec"  was  built  in  1889.  The  former 
vessel's  name  was  changed  to  "Sagadahoc"  about  1890.  In 
1896  the  company,  thinking  a  steamboat  would  eventually  pay 
to  run  during  the  winter  season,  the  next  year  had  constructed 
the  propeller  "Lincoln,"  and  run  her  one  or  more  seasons,  when 
she  was  sold  to  parties  who  run  her  in  Florida  waters  for  a 
time,  but  has  since  been  disposed  of  and  run  on  several  routes. 

All  of  the  lines  running  from  Boston  to  the  coast  of  Maine 
were  consolidated  in  November,  1901. 

Y  In  1833  the  Boston  &  Bangor  S.  S.  Co.  was  formed,  prin- 
cipally of  Boston  people,  and  the  next  year  the  "Bangor"  was 
built  for  them,  by  Bell  &  Brown,  of  New  York,  the  vessel  being 
about  160  feet  long,  with  a  "square"  engine  of  36  inches  by  9 
feet  stroke.  This  vessel  formed  the  permanent  line  between 


394  COAST    OF    MAINE. 

Boston  ancLBangor,  and  the  towns  on  the  Penobscot  River, 
until  1842^vhen  R.  K.  Page  &  Son,  of  Hallowell,  sent  her  to 
the  Mediterranean,  leaving  Boston,  Mass.,  on  August  16th, 
1842,  for  Glbralter  and  Constantinople,  and  doing  service  in 
Turkey  waters  for  many  years.  The  same  parties,  in  1844,  had 
built,  at  Bath,  Maine,  the  hull  of  a  propeller,  144  feet  long, 
named  "Marmora,"  with  Ericsson  engines,  built  at  New  York, 
that  was  also  sent  to  the  Mediterranean  ports,  leaving  New 
York  for  Liverpool  September  2d,  1845.  This  vessel  was 
wrecked  on  the  coast  of  Morocco  on  her  outward  voyage. 

In  order  to  correct  many  statements  that  have  been  made 
in  the  last  few  years  that  the  "Bangor"  was  still  in  service, 
the  writer  submits  a  copy  of  a  letter  from  the  Consul  General 
at  Constantinople: 

CONSTANTINOPLE,  Nov.  12,  1902. 

J.  H.  MORRISON,  ESQ.,  358  Hancock  St.,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

DEAR  SIR,- — I  have  secured  the  following  informa- 
tion regarding  the  American-built  steamer  "Bangor," 
which  came  out  here  in  the  year  1842. 

She  was  purchased  by  the  Civil  List,  re-named  the 
"Sudaver,"  and  used  to  carry  passengers  between  this 
city  and  the  Princes'  Islands,  in  the  Sea  of  Marmora. 
She  was  said  to  be  the  most  commodious  and  comfort- 
able daily  passenger  steamer.  She  was  never  the  yacht 
of  any  Sultan.  Her  machinery  is  said  to  have  been  re- 
markable and  original,  and  was  named  by  the  public 
"Rokana"  (carpenter's  plane),  owing  to  its  peculiar 
movements. 

After  many  years'  continual  service  to  the  Princes' 
Islands  and  the  Sea  of  Marmora,  during  which  time  she 
underwent  extensive  repairs  to  her  hull  and  boiler,  she 
was  transferred  to  the  Idarei  Feraide  Co.  She  was  laid 
up  for  several  years  in  the  Imperial  Ottoman  Dockyards 
after  being  withdrawn  from  service,  and  eventually, 
some  fourteen  years  ago,  was  broken  up. 

The  above  information  you  can  take  as  being 
authentic.  It  was  secured  through  our  harbor  master 
from  Husni  Pacha,  Chief  Naval  Constructor,  Imperial 
Ottoman  Admiralty,  who  remembers  his  trips  when  a 


COAST    OE    MAINE.  395 

boy  by  the  said  steamer  between  his  home  in  town  and 
the  Naval  College  at  Halki,  one  of  the  Princes'  Islands. 

Very  truly  yours, 

WM.  SMITH  LYTE, 
Vice  and  Deputy  Consul  General. 

There  was  an  iron-hull  propeller  built  by  the  Betts  Harlan 
&  Hollingsworth  Co.  for  the  Bangor  Steam  Navigation  Co., 
named  "Bangor,"  that  ran  between  Boston  and  Bangor  for 
part  of  the  years  1845  and  1846.  The  vessel  was  begun  in 
1843,  but  not  completed  until  August  1st,  1845,  when  she  left 
the  builders'  hands  for  the  home  port,  via  New  York.  This 
was  the  first  iron-hull  steam  vessel  in  the  United  States  built 
for  coasting  service.  Mr.  E.  C.  Hyde  was  one  of  the  owners 
of  the  vessel  and  agent  of  the  company.  The  vessel  was  com- 
manded by  Capt.  A.  Parker,  and  the  chief  engineer  was  Henry 
Dockery.  It  was  not  long  after  being  placed  on  the  route  that 
rthe  was  in  trouble.  She  sailed  on  her  second  trip  from  Boston 
on  August  31st,  1845,  with  34  passengers  and  freight  valued 
at  $20,000.  The  next  day— Sunday— about  4  P.  M.,  the  vessel 
being  then  in  Penobscot  Bay,  the  after  bulkhead  of  the  boiler- 
room  was  found  to  be  on  fire,  and  the  flames  spread  with  such 
rapidity  that  it  was  found  necessary  to  run  the  vessel  ashore 
on  Long  Island,  town  of  Islesborough,  in  Pehdleton  harbor, 
about  seven  miles  from  Castine.  The  passengers  and  crew 
were  all  gotten  ashore  on  the  island,  with  safety,  and  after- 
wards taken  to  Castine  by  the  revenue  cutter  "Veto"  and 
schooner  "Pembroke,"  that  had  been  lying  in  that  harbor  and 
went  at  once  to  their  assistance.  The  vessel  was  afterwards 
decided  to  be  a  wreck,  the  insurance  on  the  vessel  adjusted, 
and  the  damaged  hull  towed  to  Bath,  where  it  was  repaired 
and  rebuilt  for  service  again.  She  afterwards  ran  on  the  same 
route  until  purchased  by  the  Navy  Department,  in  December, 
1846,  at  a  cost  of  $28,975,  was  fitted  with  three  guns  for  service 
during  the  Mexican  war.  Her  name  was  then  changed  to 
"Scourge."  After  two  years  of  war  duty,  the  vessel  was  sold 
to  parties  in  Lafayette,  La.,  for  f 2,300.  After  this  transfer,  all 
trace  of  the  vessel  seems  to  have  been  lost.  Her  dimensions 
were  120'x23'x9'.  The  motive  power  was  a  pair  of  twin-screw 


396  .  COAST    OF    MAINE. 

engines,  with  cylinders  of  22  inches  by  24  inches  stroke.  Pro- 
peller wheels  each  sy»  feet  diameter. 

It- was  about  the  same  time  that  James  Cunningham,  of 
New  York,  who  had  been  interested  with  Memenon  Sanford 
in  steam  navigation  on  the  Long  Island  Sound,  built  the 
"Penobscot"  for  the  Bangor  route,  and  Capt.  Sanford  brought 
around  the  "Charter  Oak11  and  the  "Bunker  Hill,"  that  at  times 
ran  to  the  Penobscot  River.  The  "Charter  Oak"  had  a  very 
narrow  escape  not  long  after,  in  July,  1845,  while  running  in 
a  dense  fog  on  a  trip  to  Bangor.  The  vessel  had  been  held 
over  at  Portland  on  account  of  the  thick  weather  until  day- 
light, when  they  resumed  the  trip.  The  vessel  was  run  very 
cautiously  and  with  great  care  until  approaching  Monhegan. 
when  the  vessel  was  "slowed  down"  for  the  officers  to  find 
their  location,  and,  before  they  were  aware  of  the  danger,  had 
drifted  on  the  rocks  known  as  the  "Old  Man's  Ledge,"  where 
they  remained  for  about  half  an  hour  and  on  a  falling  tide, 
but  with  good  fortune  the  vessel  came  off  without  any  injury. 
The  "Penobscot"  was  subsequently  controlled  or  purchased 
by  the  regular  line,  and  in  1845  Captain  Sanford  transferred 
the  vessel  to  the  Bangor  route,  and  the  first  trip  of  the  vessel 
on  the  newT  line  was  made  in  June,  1845,  from  Boston  to 
Bangor,  by  the  outside  route,  direct  for  Monhegan,  this  route 
having  never  been  attempted  before  by  a  steamer  sailing  on 
"time  and  courses."  The  "Kennebec"  was  also  added  about 
the  same  time.  The  "State  of  Maine"  was  built  at  New  York 
in  1848,  and  was  240'x32'xll',  with  a  beam  engine  of  54  inches 
by  11  feet  stroke,  for  the  route,  and  was  a  great  improvement 
in  size  and  passenger  accommodations  and  interior  finish  to 
anything  there  had  been  thus  far  on  the  Maine  coast,  but  she 
was  found  to  be  too  large  and  expensive  a  boat  for  the  route, 
and  during  the  next  year  was  disposed  of  to  the  Fall  River 
line. 

James  Cunningham,  who  had  retired  from  the  business 
of  building  marine  engines  at  New  York,  seems  to  have  still 
had  a  desire  for  an  interest  in  steam  navigation  on  the  coast, 
as,  in  1849,  the  "Senator"  was  built  at  New  York  for  him  and 
Daniel  Drew,  the  vessel  being  219'x35'6xl2',  with  a  beam 
engine  of  50  inches  by  11  feet  stroke.  The  vessel  run  in 
connection  with  the  railroad  from  Portland  to  Bangor,  for  the 


COAST    OF    MAINE.  397 

year,  when  she  was  sent  around  Cape  Horn  to  the  California 
coast  during  the  gold  excitement,  where  she  remained  and 
was  worn  out,  completing  her  service  about  1879,  being  suc- 
ceeded by  the  more  economical  compound-engine  screw  pro- 
pellers in  the  California  Steam  Navigation  Company's  line. 
They  had  built  the  "Admiral"  a  few  years  previous  for  the 
same  service. 

There  was  running  to  Bangor  most  of  the  year  1855,  the 
propeller  "General  Knox,"  whose  dimensions  were  140'x24'x8', 
with  vertical  engine,  34"x36",  but  this  service  appears  to  have 
ended  her  career  on  the  Maine  coast. 

There  was  a  stern-wheeler  on  the  Penobscot  River  for 
several  years  about  1850,  named  "Phenix,"  that  wTas  82  feet 
long,  with  a  water-wheel  of  11  feet  diameter  and  9  feet  face. 
There  were  several  of  these  vessels  built  by  Thos.  Blanchard, 
of  Springfield,  Mass.,  at  a  much  earlier  date,  for  the  upper 
Connecticut  River. 

The  "Memenon  Sanford"  was  built  originally  for  the  New 
York  and  Philadelphia  outside  route,  and  appears  to  have 
been  the  best  of  the  fleet  on  the  Bangor  line,  where  she  run 
regularly  up  to  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War.  Her  last  ser- 
vice was  under  a  charter  to  the  Quartermaster's  Bureau,  from 
November  18th,  1862,  at  |950  per  day,  in  carrying  troops  to 
New  Orleans,  La.  She  was  lost  December  10th,  1862,  on 
Carysfort  reef,  off  the  Florida  Capes,  in  perfectly  clear  arid 
still  weather,  having  800  troops  on  board,  all  of  whom  were 
saved.  The  engine  wras  recovered  and  subsequently  placed  in 
the  "George  Leary,"  built  in  1864,  for  the  Baltimore  and 
Norfolk  line.  The  "Memenon  Sanford"  was  237'x34'xll'8, 
with  a  beam  engine  of  50  inches  by  12  feet  stroke. 

In  1849  the  following  steamers  were  in  service  in  Maine 
waters: 

"Admiral" Boston  to  St.  Johns. 

"Balloon" Hallowell  to  Waterville. 

"Boston" Boston  to  Keunebec  River. 

"Charter 'Oak" Boston  to  Hallowell. 

"Com.  Preble" Boston  to  Portland. 

"Danin" Kennebec  River. 

"Flushing" Portland  to  Brunswick, 


398  COAST    OF    MAINE. 

"Gen'l  Warren" Boston  to  Portland. 

"Governor" Portland  to  Bangor. 

"Huntress" Portland  to  Hallowell. 

"John  Marshall" Boston  to  Portland. 

"Kennebec" Boston  to  Hallowell. 

"Phenix" Hallowell  to  Waterville. 

"Penobscot" Boston  to  Bangor. 

"Portland" Boston  to  Portland. 

"T.  F.  Secor" Belfast,  Castine  and  Bangor. 

"Tarritine" Penobscot  River. 

In  1863  the  Bangor  line  had  John  Englis  &  Son,  of  New 
York,  construct  the  "Katahdin,"  and  in  1867,  the  same  builders 
constructed  the  "Cambridge."  In  1882  the  "Penobscot"  was 
built  at  East  Boston,  Mass.,  by  Smith  &  Townsend;  in  1894  the 
"City  of  Bangor"  was  built  at  the  same  place,  and  in  1901  the 
"City  of  Rockland,"  the  most  complete  vessel  that  has  been 
on  the  line,  was  finished.  The  "Cambridge"  went  ashore  and 
became  a  total  loss  off  George's  Island,  on  February  10th, 
1886.  The  "Penobscot"  was  chartered  to  the  Joy  Line — New- 
York  to  Providence — in  the  summer  of  1901.  About  1895  the 
"Katahdin"  was  broken  up  for  the  old  material  in  the  vessel. 

The  International  Steam  Ship  Company  was  organized  in 
1859,  with  the  same  interest  that  controlled  the  Portland  S.  P. 
Co.,  to  run  a  line  from  Boston  to  St.  Johns,  N.  B.,  via  Portland. 
The  next  year  the  "New  Brunswick"  was  constructed  for  this 
route,  and  the  following  year  the  "New  England"  was  built 
and  added  to  the  line.  The  latter  was  about  the  same  class 
of  side-wheel  steamers  as  they  had  on  the  Portland  line,  but 
the  former  was  somewhat  smaller  and  with  less  power.  The 
"New  England"  met  with  an  accident  on  July  22d,  1872,  while 
oh  her  way  from  St.  Johns  to  Boston,  struck  on  the  "Wolves," 
and  in  a  short  time  filled.  The  passengers,  baggage  and  freight 
were  landed  in  good  order.  There  was  a  dense  fog  prevailing 
at  the  time,  and  an  unusually  strong  current  set  the  vessel 
far  to  the  southward  of  her  course.  The  vessel  was  after- 
wards raised,  taken  to  Portland,  where  she  was  rebuilt  and 
named  "City  of  Portland."  The  company  had,  prior  to  this, 
purchased  the  "New  York,"  that  had  run  on  Lake  Ontario 
before  1860.  This  vessel  was  about  the  same  size,  but  had 


BOSTON,    MASS.  399 

more  power  of  engine  than  those  built  for  the  line.  In  1882, 
the  company  purchased  the  "Falmouth"  from  the  New 
England  &  Nova:  Scotia  S.  S.  Co.,  and  in  the  same  year  built 
the  "State  of  Maine."  The  latter  vessel  was  the  largest  and 
with  the  most  power  of  engine  of  any  of  the  fleet  that  had  been 
constructed  for  the  line,  being  244'x37'xl4'7,  and  having  an 
engine  60  inches  by  12  feet  stroke.  In  May,  1884.  the  company 
suffered  the  loss  of  the  "Falmouth,"  by  fire,  while  lying  up  at 
Portland  for  repairs.  A  few  days  after,  the  "City  of  Port- 
land" run  on  a  rock  on  the  Maine  coast,  proving  a  total  loss. 
The  passengers  were  taken  off  by  vessels  that  came  to  their 
assistance.  In  July  of  the  same  year,  the  "State  of  Maine"  run 
ashore  on  the  coast  during  a  dense  fog,  the  passengers  being 
safely  transferred  to  the  mainland  without  injury.  The  vessel 
was,  after  a  few  months,  gotten  into  deep  water  again,  taken 
to  Bath,  Maine,  where  she  was  repaired  and  refitted  for  the 
line  again.  In  1885  the  company  had  the  "Cumberland"  built 
at  Bath,  being  a  trifle  larger  than  the  "State  of  Maine."  The 
first  screw  propeller  for  any  of  the  regular  lines  on  this  coast 
since  the  "Warren"  and  the  "Preble,"  was  built  by  this  company 
in  1895,  the  "St.  Croix,"  of  about  the  same  length,  but  with  a 
little  more  beam  than  their  side-wheel  boats.  Since  the  pro- 
peller has  been  in  service,  the  vessels  have  run  direct  from 
Boston  to  St.  Johns  during  the  summer  months.  Their  present 
fleet  consists  of  the  "St.  Croix"  and  the  "State  of  Maine."  The 
"Cumberland"  was, sold  to  the  Joy  Line  in  August,  1902. 


BOSTON,  MASS. 

^  The  steamboat  "Massachusetts,"  owned  by  some  residents 
of  Salem,  was  the  first  steamboat  in  service  in  Boston  Bay. 
This  vessel  was  built  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  the  hull  being 
82  feet  long,  17  feet  10  inches  beam,  and  drew  4  feet  of  water. 
Her  first  trip,  from  Salem  to  Boston,  was  on  July  4th,  1817. 
This  enterprise  not  proving  a  success^the  vessel  was  with- 
drawn from  the  route  after  a  few  months,  and  was, sent  south 
to  be  sold,  but  was  wrecked  on  the  voyage  on  the  coast  of 
North  Carolina.  The  "Eagle,"  of  80  tons,  built  at  New  London, 


400  BOSTON,    MASS. 

Conn.,  in  1817.  took  her  place  for  a  time,  but  run  from  Nan- 
tucket  to  New  Bedford  for  a  portion  of  the  year. 

-jln  the  year  1818  the  "Eagle"  made  the  first  steamboat 
trip  from  Boston  to  the  town  of  Hingham,  which  is  about 
eleven  miles  down  Boston  Bay.  Her  service  was  very  irregu- 
lar during  that  year,  and  it  was  not  until  1819  that  the  vessel 
was  placed  on  the  route  to  make  daily  passages  between  these 
places.  She  was  a  very  small  boat,  not  over  a  hundred  feet  in 
length,  and  her  accommodations  not  exceeding  two  hundred 
passengers.  She  ran  until  1821 J^  after  which  there  is  no 
account  of  any  communication  except  by  sailing  vessels  until 
1829.  A  very  singular  incident  is,  there  was  not  in  1822  a 
single  notice  of  a  steamboat  in  Boston  Harbor;  where  they  all 
went  to  history  is  silent.  At  this  period  there  was  a  demand 
for  steamboats  on  the  southern  rivers  along  the  coast,  and 
more  than  probable  some  of  them  started  for  the  southern 
waters.  J\The  "Lafayette,"  built  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  was  the 
next  boat  on  this  route,  and  began  running  to  Hingham  in 
1829.  v  She  was  somewhat  smaller  than  her  predecessor,  and 
even  in  those  early  days  of  steaniboating  was  not  highly 
thought  of,  as  she  probably  had  one  of  those  geared  engines 
that  made  sufficient  noise  when  in  operation  to  raise  a  person 
in  a  trance.  Before  she  was  purchased  by  the  Hingham  Com- 
pany, she  was  named  the  "Hamilton,"  which  name  always 
remained  on  her  stern.  There  is  an  account  of  her  being 
caught  in  a  squall  off  the  Castle  on  a  trip  to  Boston,  and  being 
compelled  to  return  to  Hingham  for  safety.  The  "General 
Lincoln"  succeeded  the  "Lafayette"  in  1832,  making  her  first 
trip  on  June  16th  of  that  year.  This  vessel  was  built  at 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  by  J.  Bond,  for  the  Boston  &  Hingham 
Steamboat  Company,  which  was  organized  during  1832.  This 
vessel  was  96'x21'x6'10,  and  was  fitted  with  a  pair  of  beam 
engines,  having  the  solid  "grate  bar"  beams>  built  by  Thomas 
Holloway,  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  and  was  at  times  run  under  the 
"high"  steam  pressure  of  20  pounds  to  the  square  inch.  The 
engines  in  this  boat  were  put  in  two  small  boats,  about  1849, 
that  were  in  service  in  New  York  Harbor  as  tugboats,  and 
named  the  "Storm"  and  the  "Tempest."  The  "Mayflower," 
built  in  New  York,  of  262  tons,  for  this  company,  was  placed 
on  the  route  in  July,  1845.  She  had  accommodations  for  about 


BOSTON,   MASS.  401 

600  passengers.  In  1856  the  vessel  was  sold  for  use  in  New 
York  waters.  The  "Nantasket,"  of  285  tons,  being  146'x25'4 
x8'2,  was  built  in  1857,  by  Thomas  Collyer,  at  New  York,  and 
placed  upon  the  route  in  the  following  year,  and  at  this  date 
was  considered  the  fastest  boat  in  the  harbor.  In  1862  she 
was  chartered  to  the  United  States  government  for  service 
during  the  Rebellion,  and  in  1865  or  1866  returned  to  Boston, 
and  was  subject  to  numerous  alterations,  her  name,  prior  to 
her  return,  having  been  changed  to  "Emeline."  Her  place  was 
taken  by  the  "Gilpin"  and  the  "Halifax,"  the  latter  a  stern- 
wheeler,  until  the  "Rose  Standish"  was  built  in  1863,  at  Brook- 
lyn, N.  Y.  This  vessel  was  sunk  by  a  collision  with  a  tugboat 
in  the  harbor  on  August  28th,  1884,  but  was  raised  and  re- 
paired, and  on  the  line  again.  The  "John  Romer,"  of  409  tons, 
built  at  Keyport,  N.  J.,  in  1863,  and  run  from  New  York  to 
Greenwich,  Conn.,  for  a  few  years,  was  purchased  by  the  com- 
pany, and  placed  on  the  route  in  1866,  but  was  subsequently 
sold  and  sent  -south.  The  "Governor  Andrew,"  of  503  tons, 
was  built  in  1874,  at  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  by  Lawrence  &  Foulks, 
for  the  company.  The  "Nantasket,"  built  in  1878,  at  Chelsea, 
Mass.,  of  408  tons,  was  in  the  service  of  the  company  until  a 
few  years  since,  and,  in  1901,  was  sold  to  the  Long  Island 
R.  R.  Co.,  for  service  on  their  Glen  Cove  route. 

The  Boston  &  Hingham  Steamboat  Co.  was  divided  in 
1881,  the  old  company  retaining  the  "Nantasket"  and  the 
"Rose  Standish,"  and  afterwards  adding  the  "Twilight"  and 
the  "Wm.  Harrison."  The  new  company  named  the  Hingham, 
Hull,  &  Downer  Landing  Steamboat  Co.,  taking  the  "Governor 
Andrew"  and  adding  by  purchase  the  "Gen'l  Lincoln"x 
"Nahant."  This  company  was  reorganized  in  1890,  as  the 
Nantasket  Beach  Steamboat  Co.  Since  then  they  have  added, 
in  1891,  the  "Mayflower,"  with  a  beam  engine;  in  1895,  the 
"Miles  Standish,"  with  an  inclined  compound  engine  and,  in 
1896,  the  "Hingham,"  with  an  inclined  condensing  engine,  and 
in  1902  the  "Nantasket"  was  added  to  the  fleet,  having  a 
simple  inclined  condensing  engine.  They  have  now  a  fleet  of 
fine  excursion  steamboats.  The  hulls  were  built  by  Montgom- 
ery &  Howard,  at  Chelsea,  Mass.,  and  the  machinery  by  the 
W.  &  A.  Fletcher  Co.,  of  New  York.  The  old  company  went 
out  of  business,  closing  out  all  its  property  about  1890. 


BOSTON,    MASS. 

TV  Outside  of  the  traffic  in  the  harbor  and  to  the  coast  of 
Maine,  Boston  merchants  were  slow  to  adopt  steam  vessels."^ 
As  late  as  the  fall  of  1844  they  established  a  packet  line  to 
Liverpool,  that  became  famous  during  the  following  fifteen 
years,  and  it  was  only  withdrawn  when  screw  propellers  came 
into  more  general  use.  In  1852  the  Boston  and  Philadelphia 
S.  S.  Co.  was  started,  with  two  steamers  on  the  line,  "Pal- 
metto" and  "City  of  New  York,"  and  later  the  "Phenias 
Sprague"  and  "Kensington."  In  the  same  year  the  Merchants' 
&  Miners'  Transportation  Company  was  chartered  by  the  State 
of  Maryland,  a  part  of  the  stock  being  held  in  Boston.  Two 
side- wheel  steamers  were  built,  the  "Joseph  Whitney,"  of 
208'x33'xl7',  with  -an  engine  of  52  inches  by  11  feet  stroke, 
and  the  "William  Jenkins,"  of  205'x31'xlO'6,  with  an  engine  of 
5G  inches  by  9  feet  stroke.  The  former  made  her  first  trip 
from  Boston  on  December  28th,  1854.  Two  more  side-wheel 
steamers,  having  iron  hulls,  the  "S.  R.  Spaulding"  and  the 
"Benj.  De  Ford,"  were  added  in  1859,  and  the  line  extended 
to  Savannah,  Ga.,  but  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  in  April, 
1801,  suspended  operations  in  that  direction  for  some  time. 
On  August  8th,  1861,  the  "Joseph  Whitney"  was  sold  to  the 
Quartermaster's  Bureau  of  the  War  Department,  for  $75,000 
and  her  name  subsequently  changed  to  "McClellan."  The 
names  of  the  "Spaulding"  and  the  "De  Ford"  were  subse- 
quently changed  to  "San  Salvador"  and  the  "San  Jacinto," 
and  run  from  New  York  to  Savannah,  Ga.,  after  1805.  The 
company  have  since  added  to  their  fleet  the  "William  Crane," 
in  1871;  the  "John  Hopkins,"  in  1873;  the  "Decatur  H.  Miller," 
in  1879,  and  the  "Alleghany"  and  the  "Berkshire,"  in  1881,  and 
several  other  fine  propellers  since  then  for  their  different 
routes. 

In  1859  the  Boston  Board  of  Trade  instituted  measures  to 
form  a  company  that  would  operate  a  line  of  steamers  between 
Boston  and  the  Mississippi  River,  with  New  Orleans,  La.,  as 
the  terminal  point,  and  incidentally  with  Havana  and  Savan- 
nah, Charleston,  S.  C.,  being  expected  to  be  in  communication 
within  the  year.  The  only  way  open  to  Boston  trade  at  that 
time  below  Baltimore,  Md.,  was  by  sailing  vessel  direct,  or 
through  the  port  of  NewT  York  for  passengers  and  freight  by 
steamships  to  all  points  on  the  coast.  In  March,  I860,  the 


BOSTON,    MASS.  403 

Union  8.  8.  Company  was  organized,  with  a  capital  of  f  700,000, 
the  organizers  being  Donald  McKay,  James  W.  Converse, 
Isaac  Rich,  John  B.  Alley,  Daniel  Lewis,  and  Lee  Claflin.  The 
breaking  out  of  the  war  stopped  all  further  operations  of  the 
company. 

During  the  year  1865,  the  owners  of  the  Neptune  line, 
comprising  the  steamers  "Neptune,"  the  "Nereus,"  the  "Glau 
cus,"  the  "Metis,"  the  "Thetis,"  and  the  "Doris,"  that  had  been 
running  between  Providence  and  New  York,  contemplated 
sending  steamers  around  to  Boston,  but  as  some  of  their  ves- 
sels were  then  under  charter  to  the  government, .  they  were 
not  enabled  at  that  time  to  do  so.  Anticipating  this  move- 
ment, a  few  capitalists  of  Boston,  comprising  Peter  Butler, 
J.  B.  Taft,  James  S.  Whitney,  and  H.  M.  Whitney,  having 
three  or  four  unemployed  steamers  on  their  hands,  made 
arrangements  to  place  them  in  service  on  the  outside  route 
to  New  York.  The  first  steamer  was  the  "Jersey  Blue,"  a 
propeller  133  feet  long,  built  in  1849,  then  the  "City  of 
Bath,"  the  "Ashland,"  the  "Mary  Sanford,"  and  some  others. 
In  February,  1866,  the  line  was  chartered  as  the  Metropolitan 
8.  8.  Company.  In  the  meantime  the  Neptune  8.  S.  Company 
had  been  consolidated  with  the  Stonington  line,  under  the 
name  of  the  Merchants  8.  S.  Company,  and  the  latter  having 
failed  in  1866,  the  Metropolitan  S.  S.  Co.  purchased  the 
"Nereus,"  the  "Glaucus"  and  the  "Neptune"  in  December  of 
that  year,  and  run  them  on  their  New  York  line.  In  1873  the 
company  had  built  their  first  iron-hull  steamer,  the  "General 
Whitney,"  and  in  1884  the  "H.  F.  Dimock,"  and  in  1887  the 
"Herman  Winter,"  and  in  1890  the  "H.  M.  Whitney,"  and  since 
then  others  have  been  added.  Two  of  the  old  Neptune  line 
propellers,  the  "Glaucus"  and  the  "Neptune" — the  "Nereus" 
was  lost  as  a  barge — have  been  laid  up  at  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  for 
about  fifteen  years. 

In  1863  the  Cunard  line  sent  only  semi-monthly  steamers 
to  Boston,  the  same  as  when  they  began  in  1840.  This  was 
not  encouraging  to  Boston  merchants,  who  were  looking  for  a 
development  of  the  export  trade  of  the  city,  so  a  company  wa>s 
organized,  with  'Boston  capital,  in  July,  1864,  under  the  name 
of  the  American  S.  S.  Company,  and  about  |800,000  was  sub- 
scribed. Many  delays  occurred,  and  it  was  not  until  October, 


404 


1865,  that  contracts  were  made  for  the  construction  of  two 
wooden  propeller  steamships  of  large  dimensions.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1866,  the  "Ontario,"  the  pioneer  of  the  line,  was  launched, 
and  during  the  following  spring  the  "Erie"  was  launched. 
They  were  both  built  at  Newburyport,  Mass.,  by  George  W. 
Jackman.  Their  machinery  was  constructed  by  Harrison 
Loring,  of  Boston.  They  were  each  340'x43'x27'x22  feet  draft, 
and  having  two  simple  condensing  engines,  vertical  cylinders 
set  fore  and  aft,  of  74  inches  diameter  by  4  feet  stroke.  The 
"Ontario"  made  one  voyage  only  to  Liverpool,  leaving  Boston, 
August  5th,  1867,  and  arriving  at  Liverpool  on  August 
18th,  and  leaving  Liverpool  on  September  7th,  stopping 
at  Queenstown,  and  arriving  at  Boston  September  19th, 
1867,  and  was  then  laid  up.  On  June  3d,  1868,  the  "Ontario" 
and  the  "Erie,"  that  had  never  made  a  voyage  in  the' 
line,  were  sold  at  public  auction  to  Nathaniel  Winsor,  for 
|750,000.  The  misfortunes  of  this  company  had  a  discourag- 
ing effect  upon  those  interested  in  the  revival  of  American 
shipping  in  the  transatlantic  trade,  but  they  met  the  same  fate 
as  the  American  lines  that  were  occasionally  running  from 
New  York  at  the  same  period.  An  apathy  succeeded,  and  at 
last  when  a  revival  of  business  came,  the  Cunard  line  filled 
the  service.  About  1870  both  of  these  vessels  were  sold  to  the 
New  York  and  Brazil  S.  S.  Co.  to  run  in  Garrison's  line  to 
Brazil  and  the  West  Indies.  The  "Erie"  was  totally  destroyed 
by  fire  on  January  1st,  1873,  while  on  a  voyage  to  New  York, 
when  90  miles  north  of  Pernambuco.  No  lives  lost.  The 
"Ontario"  was  laying  up  at  Boston  a  few  years  later. 

There  was  an  effort  made  as  early  as  1855  among  the  mer- 
chants of  Boston  to  organize  a  company  to  establish  a  line  of 
steamships  from  Boston  to  Europe,  and  it  even  took  shape  in 
the  organization  of  a  company,  named  the  Boston  &  European 
S.  S.  Co.,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $1,500,000.  The  members  of 
the  company  included  R.  B.  Forbes,  G.  B.  Upton,  Enoch  Train, 
W.  F.  Weld,  J.  B.  Bradlee,  Donald  McKay,  Edward  S.  Tobey, 
Israel  Whitney,  F.  W.  Thayer,  and  about  thirty  others.  There 
were  no  active  operations  taken  toward  building  vessels  at 
the  time,  but  it  went  so  far  that  models  of  vessels  about  320 
feet  long  were  prepared.  It  is  altogether  probable  that  a 
more  thorough  investigation  of  the  prospects  for  a  new  line, 


BOSTON",   MASS.  405 

both  from  the  European  side  as  well  as  this  side  of  the  Atlan- 
tic, put  a  damper  on  the  enterprise.  The  treatment  received 
at  this  period  by  the  Collins  line  from  the  Congress,  no  doubt, 
had  also  its  influence  to  defer  operations. 

The  first  timber  dry  docks  built  in  this  country  were 
those  constructed  in  1854,  at  East  Boston,  Mass.,  by  J.  E. 
Simpson,  who  held  a  patent  upon  them.  The  first  was  com- 
menced September  1st,  1853,  and  completed  in  May,  1854.  This 
dock  was  254  feet  long  inside  of  gates,  70  feet  wide  at  the 
top,  and  50  feet  at  the  bottom.  The  second  dock  was  started 
in  April,  1855,  and  was  finished  in  80  days  from  commence- 
ment. This  was  165  feet  long,  46  feet  wide,  and  20  feet  deep. 
Two  large  centrifugal  pumps  were  so  arranged  at  to  pump 
from  either  dock  at  pleasure. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 
OCEAN  STEAMSHIPS. 

HE  first  steamship  to  cross  the  Atlantic  Ocean  was 
the  "Savannah,"  built  by  Francis  Fickett,  in  1818, 
at  New  York  City.  She  was  originally  con- 
structed as  a  sailing  packet  for  New  York  and 
Havre  line,  but  Capt.  Moses  Rogers,  who  had 
been  employed  by  both  Fulton  and  Stevens  in  commanding 
several  of  their  early  steamboats,  induced  Scarborough  & 
Isaacs,  a  wealthy  shipping  firm  in  Savannah,  Ga.,  to  purchase 
the  vessel  and  fit  her  with  an  engine  and  boiler.  The  vessel 
was  about  100  feet  long,  28  feet  beam  and  14  feet  deep;  was 
fitted  with  an  inclined  engine,  built  by  Stephen  Vail,  of  Speed- 
well, N.  J.,  arid  the  boiler  by  Daniel  Dod,  of  Elizabethtown, 
N.  J.  The  water  wheels  were  of  wrought  iron,  with  eight  radial 
arms,  and  so  constructed  as  to  be  folded  up  like  a  fan.  They 
were  16  feet  diameter  with  8  buckets  in  each  wheel.  The  wheel 
houses  were  an  iron  frame  covered  with  canvas.  The  vessel 
carried  the  same  complement  of  spars  and  sails  as  a  sailing 
ship  of  that  period.  The  whole  cost  of  the  vessel  was  about 
$50,000. 

On  March  28th,  1819,  the  vessel  made  a  trip  to  Savannah 
from  New  York,  arriving  at  the  former  port  April  6th,  in  8 
days  15  hours.  The  engine  wras  operated  only  41  y2  hours 
during  the  trip.  Shortly  after  she  made  a  trip  to  Charleston, 
S.  C.,  and  returned  to  Savannah  on  May  1st. 

On  May  24th,  1819,  the  vessel  left  the  port  after  which  she 
was  named,  under  command  of  Capt.  Moses  Rogers,  for  Liver- 
pool, England,  which  port  she  reached  on  June  20th,  making 
the  voyage  in  27  days,  80  hours  of  which  the  vessel  was  oper- 
ated under  steam.  The  London  Times  of  June  30th,  1819, 
said,  "The  'Savannah,'  a  steam  vessel,  recently  arrived  at  Liver- 
pool from  America,  the  first  vessel  of  the  kind  which  ever 
crossed  the  Atlantic,  was  chased  the  whole  day  off  the  coast 
of  Ireland  bv  the  'Kite,'  revenue  cruiser  on  the  Cork  station. 


OCEAN    STEAMSHIPS.  407 

which  mistook  her  for  a  ship  on  fire."  Left  Liverpool  July  23d, 
after  remaining  there  a  little  over  a  month,  for  St.  Petersburg, 
Russia,  stopping  at  Stockholm  and  Cronstadt,  where  she  ar- 
rived September  13th,  having  used  her  steam  power  239  hours, 
or  nearly  10  days  out  of  33  days  while  under  way.  On  Sep- 
tember 29th  she  started  on  her  return  to  the  United  States, 
stopping  on  the  way  at  a  few  of  the  Baltic  ports,  and  arrived 
at  Savannah  November  30th,  after  a  very  stormy  passage.  A 
few  days  after,  the  vessel  left  for  New  York,  stopping  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.,  on  December  16th.'  Shortly  after  her  machinery 
was  removed  and  sold  to  James  P.  Allaire,  and  the  hull  con- 
verted to  a  sailing  vessel  and  run  between  New  York  and 
Savannah,  Ga,,  under  command  of  Captain  Holdridge  until 
driven  ashore  in  an  east-northeast  gale  on  November  5th,  1821, 
on  Great  South  Beach,  opposite  Moriches,  on  the  south  shore 
of  Long  Island,  while  on  a  voyage  from  Savannah,  where  the 
vessel  became  a  total  loss.  In  all  the  authorities  the  loss  of 
this  vessel  is  given  as  1822,  nothing  more  definite  than  the  year. 
That  seems  to  have  been  a  failing  of  the  early  writers,  to  omit 
the  details  in  many  cases.  The  steam  cylinder  of  this  engine 
was  on  exhibition  at  the  Crystal  Palace  Fair  in  New  York  in 
1856.  The  occasion  of  her  failure  as  a  steamship  was  the  large 
amount  of  space  occupied  by  the  machinery  and  that  required 
for  the  stowage  of  wood  for  fuel,  thus  leaving 'a  small  space  for 
cargo. 

There  have  been  a  few  attempts  made  to  dispute  the 
history  of  the  "Savannah"  as  the  pioneer  ocean  steamer  of  the 
Atlantic,  and  call  it  a  fallacy.  The  latest  of  such  endeavors 
was  to  bring  forward  a  British  steamer  named  "City  of  Kings- 
ton," as  arriving  here  about  1814.  When  this  was  examined 
it  was  found  there  was  such  a  steamer,  but  she  did  not  arrive 
here  until  1838,  about  the  time  of  the  "Sirius." 

There  was  a  long  period  of  time  after  the  "Savannah" 
before  another  American  steamship  crossed  the  Atlantic 
Ocean,  and  during  that  period  there  had  been  much  knowledge 
gained  of  steam  navigation  that  was  of  service  in  constructing 
ocean  steamers. 

There  were  two  side-wheel  steamers  built  in  this  country 
for  the  Spanish  navy,  in  1841,  named  at  first  the  "Lion"  and 
the  "Eagle,"  but  subsequently  "Regent"  and  "Congress."  They 


408  OCEAN    STEAMSHIPS.       . 

were  built  by  Jacob  Bell,  at  New  York,  and  were  154'x30'xl4'6, 
with  side-lever  engines  by  Novelty  Works,  having  .cylinders 
42"x4'  7".  About  the  same  time  there  was  also  built  for  the 
Russian  navy  the  "Kamschatka,"  by  Wm.  H.  Brown,  at  New 
York,  being  219'x35'10x24'6,  and  fitted  with  one  of  Lighthall's 
half -beam  engines,  62"xlO/,  built  by  H.  R.  Dunham  &  Co.  There 
was  considerable  discussion  at  this  time  in  naval  circles  as  to 
the  different  types  of  steamers  for  naval  purposes,  for  the 
United  States  were  then  building  the  "Missouri"  and  the 
''Mississippi"  for  the  U.  S.  Navy,  much  larger  vessels  than 
those  for  the  foreign  navies. 

After  the  "Savannah"  there  was  no  steamship  owned  or 
run  by  an  American  company  that  navigated  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  to  a  port  in  Europe  until  1847,  when  the  Ocean  Steam 
Navigation  Company  of  New  York  had  two  steamships  con- 
structed by  Westervelt  &  Mackay  at  New  York,  named  "Wash- 
ington" and  the  "Herman."  The  directors  of  this  company  were 
C.  H.  Sand,  Edward  Mills,  William  Chamberlain,  John  A. 
Iselin,  C.  W.  Faber,  Horatio  Allen,  Mortimer  Livingston  and 
John  L.  Stephens.  These  vessels  were  constructed  like  heavy 
sailing  vessels,  but  longer,  and  were  simply  long  square- 
sterned  three  deckers,  with  one  white  streak  along  the  sides 
and  painted  black  at  intervals  for  ports.  They  were  bark 
rigged.  Their  construction  was  of  heavy  timber,  in  accordance 
with  the  rules  then  prevailing  for  sailing  vessels.  The  "Wash- 
ington" was  230'x39'x31',  and  the  "Herman"  235'x40'x31'  deep. 
They  had  each  two  "side-lever"  engines  of  72"xlO'  stroke,  built 
by  the  Novelty  Iron  Works.  During  the  first  year  they  were 
the  subject  of  several  alterations,  their  boilers  proving  too 
small  for  their  work,  and  their  paddle  wheels  too  large.  These 
vessels  run  to  Bremen,  touching  at  Cowes,  twice  a  month,  the 
"Washington"  being  the  pioneer,  and  leaving  on  her  first  voy- 
age June  1st,  1847.  The  "Herman"  started  on  her  first  voyage 
March  21st,  1848.  They  run  under  a  contract  of  the  company 
to  carry  the  U.  S.  mail,  for  which  they  received  the  sum  of 
$200,000  per  annum.  The  postage  at  this  time  from  New  York 
to  Europe  on  letters  was  24  cents  for  one  half  ounce  or  less, 
and  48  cents  half  an  ounce  to  one  ounce,  and  15  cents  every 
additional  half  ounce.  Every  newspaper  and  pamphlet  3  cents 
each. 


OCEAN    STEAMSHIPS.  409 

In  1857,  when  Congress  refused  to  make  an  appropriation 
for  the  renewal  of  any  of  the  foreign  mail  contracts,  it  com- 
pelled the  withdrawal  of  the  vessels  from  the  service  at  the 
expiration  of  their  contract.  These  vessels  were  subsequently 
sent  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  The  "Washington"  was  broken  up 
in  1863,  and  the  "Herman"  was  lost  on  the  coast  of  Japan 
February  13th,  1869. 

In  the  same  year  Charles  H.  Marshall  &  Co.,  owners  of 
the  Black  Ball  line  of  packet  ships  running  from  New  York 
to  Liverpool,  had  built  for  them,  by  William  H.  Webb,  the 
steamship  "United  States,"  of  1904  tons.  This  vessel  sailed 
en  her  first  voyage  in  the  spring  of  1848  for  Liverpool,  and 
after  making  a  few  more  voyages,  and  they  not  proving  a 
success  from  a  commercial  point  of  view,  the  vessel  was  with- 
drawn, and  in  February,  1849,  sold  to  the  Prussian  Govern- 
ment, and  afterwards  was  again  in  the  merchant  service. 

In  1849,  the  New  York  and  Havre  Steam  Navigation  Com- 
pany obtained  a  contract  from  the  United  States  Government 
to  carry  the  mail  between  New  York  and  Havre,  stopping  at 
Cowes,  for  which  service  they  received  the  sum  of  f  150,000 
per  annum  for  a  fortnightly  service,  and  in  that  year  had 
constructed  for  them,  by  Westervelt  &  Mackay,  the  "Franklin," 
whose  hull  was  263'x41'10x26',  and  in  1850,  the  "Humboldt," 
whose  dimensions  of  hull  were  292'x40'x27'.  These  vessels 
had  each  a  pair  of  side-lever  engines,  built  by  the  Novelty 
Works,  the  cylinders  being  93"x8'  stroke  for  the  "Franklin," 
and  of  the  "Humboldt,"  95"x9'. 

The  average  passages  of  these  vessels  were,  the  Bremen 
line  out  of  New  York,  14  days  and  9  hours,  and  to  New  York, 
13  days  20  hours.  The  Havre  line  eastward,  12  days  10  hours, 
and  westward,  12  days  16  hours. 

The  "Franklin"  and  the  "Humboldt"  continued  on  the 
Havre  service  until  they  were  lost,  the  "Humboldt"  on  De- 
cember 5th,  1853,  in  entering  the  harbor  of  Halifax,  N.  S.,  and 
the  "Franklin,"  July  17th,  1854,  was  lost  off  Montauk  Point, 
Long  Island.  The  company  chartered  other  vessels  to  continue 
the  line  until  the  "Arago"  and  the  "Fulton"  were  built,  in  1855. 
The  "Arago"  was  constructed  by  J.  A.  Westervelt  &  Sons  at 
New  York,  with  the  hull  dimensions  of  283'x39'3x24'6 ;  had  a 
pair  of  oscillating  engines,  built  by  the  Novelty  Iron  Works, 


OCEAN    STEAMSHIPS.  411 

with  cylinders  65"xlO'  stroke.  The  "Fulton"  was  built  by 
Smith  &  Dimon,  of  New  York,  whose  hull  dimensions  were 
280'5x42'x24';  also  had  a  pair  of  oscillating  engines  of  same 
size  as  those  in  the  "Arago,"  but  built  by  the  Morgan  Iron 
Works.  These  vessels  were  a  great  improvement  on  their 
predecessors  of  the  line  in  every  way,  and  continued  the  service 
to  Havre  until  1861,  when  they  were  withdrawn  and  chartered 
by  the  United  States  Government.  The  line  was  well  man- 
aged and  cared  for  in  its  operations,  and  received  more  Amer- 
ican patronage  during  its  career  than  any  other  to  the  same 
ports. 

The  next  line  of  ocean  steamships  .to  carry  the  American 
liag  at  the  peak  as  an  ensign  of  their  nationality  was  the  far- 
famed  Collins  line,  which  company  was  formed  about  1847. 
Tlie  corporate  name  of  the  company  was  "The  New  York  and 
Liverpool  IT.  S.  Mail  S.  S.  Co.,"  and  the  trustees  or  board  of 
directors  were  James  Brown,  E.  K.  Collins,  W.  S.  Wetmore, 
Stewart  Brown  and  Elisha  Kiggs.  The  paid-in  cash  capital 
was  $1,200,000.  They  had  at  first  four  vessels  built  for  the 
service  between  New  York  and  Liverpool — the  "Atlantic,"  in 
1849,  by  William  H.  Brown,  and  the  "Pacific,"  in  the  same 
year,  by  Brown  &  Bell,  both  of  New  York.  The  machinery  for 
the  "Atlantic"  was  constructed  by  the  Novelty  Iron  Works, 
while  that  for  the  "Pacific"  was  constructed  by  the  Allaire 
Works.  In  the  next  year  two  more  vessels  were  built  for  the 
company,  the  "Arctic,"  and  the  "Baltic,"  the  former  by  William 
H.  Brown,  and  the  latter  by  Brown  &  Bell.  The  machinery  of 
the  "Arctic"  was  built  by  the  Novelty  Iron  Works,  and  that  of 
the  "Baltic"  by  the  Allaire  Works.  The  model  for  these  vessels 
was  made  by  George  Steers,  the  designer  of  the  yacht 
"America"  of  that  period. 

The  specifications  for  the  building  of  these  vessels  called 
for  the  following  dimensions  for  the  hulls,  viz. :  Length  of  keel, 
277  feet;  length  on  main  deck,  282  feet;  depth  under  main 
deck,  24  feet;  breadth  of  beam,  45  feet;  frames,  white  oak  and 
chestnut,  double,  10  to  12  inches,  and  molded  20  to  21  inches, 
and  spaced  -30  to  36  inches,  centre  to  centre.  Outside  plank 
of  yellow  pine  5  to  7  inches  thick,  and  next  to  keel  of  white  oak 
9  inches  thick  and  15  inches  wide.  Main  keelson  of  white 
oak,  32  inches  by  34  inches  deep;  under  engines,  22  inches  in 


412  OCEAN"    STEAMSHIPS. 

width  and  42  inches  deep,  of  white  oak  and  yellow  pine.  In 
construction  there  was  a  difference  of  3  to  5  feet  in  the  length 
of  the  vessels.  The  engine  keelsons  were  found  to  be  the 
weakest  part  of  the  structure. 

These  vessels  were  each  fitted  with  a  pair  of  "side-lever'' 
engines,  the  "Arctic"  and  the  "Baltic"  having  cylinders  96 
inches  diameter  and  10  feet  stroke,  while  the  "Atlantic"  and 
the  "Pacific,"  that  were  the  first  built,  had  cylinders  95  inches 
by  9  feet  stroke.  The  engines  had  balanced  puppet  steam 
and  exhaust  valves.  Each  vessel  had  also  four  vertical  tubular 
boilers,  with  double  row  of  furnaces,  designed  by  John  Faron, 
who  was  chief  engineer  of  the  line.  These  vessels  cost  com- 
plete, $2,944,000.  They  had  large  passenger  accommodations, 
the  cabins  being  large  and  roomy.  The  saloons  were  very 
elaborate  in  their  finish,  an  extravagant  sum  having  been 
expended  upon  the  decorations  in  the  saloons  and  cabins. 

The  line  started  under  a  contract  to  carry  the  United 
States  mail  for  $385,000  per  annum,  which  was  afterwards 
increased  to  $858,000  per  annum,  yet  with  this  large  subsidy, 
and  a  large  share  of  the  passenger  travel  and  freight,  it  failed 
to  be  a  paying  line.  The  passenger  travel  they  commanded  on 
account  of  the  superior  accommodations  offered  and  the  repu- 
tation they  had  for  quick  passages.  The  expenses  at  the  end 
of  every  return  trip  to  New  York  for  repairs  to  the  engines 
and  boilers,  after  the  vessels  had  been  running  a  short  time, 
was  very  great.  Large  numbers  of  mechanics  being  sent  from 
the  Novelty  Iron  Works,  who  worked  day  and  night  until  the 
repairs  to  the  machinery  were  completed,  that  in  some  cases 
were  but  a  few  hours  before  the  time  of  sailing,  that  had  be- 
come necessary  by  the  heavy  strain  that  had  been  put  on  the 
machinery  during  the  voyage.  The  rivalry  existing  with  the 
Cunard  line  at  this  period  to  make  the  best  time  was  so  great 
as  to  cause  them  to  make  all  possible  endeavors  to  accomplish 
their  object,  which  in  the  end  was  one  of  the  causes  of  the 
failure  of  the  company.  Then  the  withdrawal  of  a  large 
portion  of  the  mail  compensation  was  an  important  factor  at 
a  later  date.  The  Collins  line  was  not  the  only  one  to  incur 
heavy  expenses  in  repairs  at  the  end  of  each  voyage,  for  the 
Cunard  line,  after  the  Collins  ships  had  shown  their  higher 
speed,  and  therefore  their  ability  to  lessen  the  time  in  crossing 


OCEAN    STEAMSHIPS.  413 

the  Atlantic  Ocean,  began  to  wake  up  to  the  necessity  for 
keeping  pace,  if  possible,  with  their  American  rivals,  and  in 
their  exertions  to  do  so  met  with  similar  mishaps  as  occurred 
to  the  Collins  steamers.  Previous  to  the  Collins  line  going 
into  operation,  the  Cunard  steamships  were  not  driven  for 
time,  as  there  were  no  steam  vessels  running  between  New 
York  and  Great  Britain  that  were  able  to  make  the  time  of  the 
Cunard  steamships.  These  vessels  have  been  known  to  come 
into  the  port  of  New  York  during  the  period  of  the  rivalry  with 
their  motive  power  in  a  very  bad  condition,  but  so  careful  were 
they  to  guard  this  from  the  knowledge  of  the  American  marine 
circles  that  it  was  almost  impossible  for  a  stranger  to  get  near 
the  engine  room,  never  mind  how  plausible  the  excuse.  More 
than  one  American  engineer  got  there.  In  more  than  one 
instance  the  vessels  have  come  into  port  totally  disabled  in  one 
engine,  so  that  they  were  compelled  to  return  to  the  home  port 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean  with  the  power  of  but 
one  engine.  This  could  not  always  be  hid  from  passengers 
with  a  knowledge  of  marine  engines,  as  was  found  to  be  the 
case  more  than  once.  The  Collins  line  met  with  but  one 
serious  accident  to  any  of  the  vessels'  machinery,  and  that 
was  the  breaking  of  the  shaft  of  the  "Atlantic"  engines  when 
a  few  days  out.  She  made  her  way  safely  in  return  under  sail. 

Respecting  the  relations  of  the  Congress  to  the  appropria- 
tions for  the  mail  compensation  paid  the  company,  the  facts 
would  appear  to  be:  After  the  company  had  operated  the  line 
for  about  two  years,  it  was  found  that  the  expenses  of  driving 
their  steamers  on  every  voyage  to  reduce  the  time  made  by 
their  rivals,  was  more  expensive  than  their  mail  pay  would 
make  good;  otherwise  it  was  expensive  business  to  be  striving 
for  "record  time"  every  voyage.  Bo  the  company,  in  1852,  made 
application  to  Congress  to  increase  the  amount  for  their  carry- 
ing of  the  mail,  and  submitted  the  following  figures  to  show 
that  it  was  an  unprofitable  investment  to  those  interested  in 
the  company. 

Average  cost  of  each  voyage $65,216.04 

"        receipts  are 48,286.85 


Loss $16,929.79 


414  OCEAN    STEAMSHIPS. 

This  included  repairs  and  insurance.  They  asked  that  the 
amount  paid  them  be  increased  from  $19,250  to  $33,000  per 
voyage.  That  was  reported  on  favorably,  and  the  amount  was 
included  in  the  Deficiency  bill  for  that  year.  The  number  of 
voyages  was  increased  from  20  to  26  per  year,  thus  making 
their  receipts  from  that  source  $858,000.  It  was  right  after 
this  that  trouble  commenced  in  Congress  by  attacks  being 
made  upon  the  company  by  certain  interests  in  the  halls  of  our 
National  Legislature.  It  was  not  effective  at  first,  but  it 
gathered  force  in  time,  and  by  1856  began  to  make  itself  felt. 
During  the  winter  of  1854-55,  the  company  submitted  another 
statement  of  its  affairs,  showing  as  follows,  viz.: 

Total  receipts  for  passengers  and 
freights $4,460,857.38 

Mail  pay  received  from  United 

States 3,^13,966.00 


Total  receipts $7,874,823.38 

Total  disbursements 7,207,291.91 


$667,531.47 
To  offset  which : 

Loss  of  the  "Arctic" $255,000.00 

Depreciation  on  investment 258,000.00 

Interest  upon  capital,  7^ 408,000.00 


$921,000.00 

In  1857  Congress  cut  down  the  appropriation  to  the  ori- 
ginal sum  per  voyage  of  $19,250,  and  limiting  the  number  of 
voyages  to  eighteen  per  annum,  thus  making  the  yearly  sum 
$346,500.  It  is  certain,  if  the  company  could  not  pay  expenses 
when  the  vessels  were  new  with  a  mail  pay  of  $19,250  per 
voyage,  they  would  find  it  more  difficult  when  the  vessels  were 
five  years  old,  and  requiring  more  extensive  repairs,  on  a  mail 
pay  of  the  same  amount.  During  the  next  year  in  Congress, 
or  beginning  the  winter  of  1857,  the  subject  came  before  them 
again  in  the  annual  appropriation  bill,  and  it  was  placed  at 
the  same  amount  as  for  the  previous  fiscal  year.  At  this 
period  it  should  be  remembered  that  the  feeling  existing  be- 


OCEAN    STEAMSHIPS.  415 

tween  the  Northern  and  Southern  States  were  very  much 
strained  politically,  caused  by  the  agitation  for  some  time  in 
Congress  of  the  question  of  slavery  in  the  territories,  and  the 
further  question  of  the  tariff,  that  had  united  the  members 
from  the  Southern  and  Western  States  advocating  those  in- 
terests, and  they  being  in  a  majority  in  the  House  and  Senate, 
had  it  in  their  power  to  cut  down  all  appropriations  that  were, 
as  they  considered,  inimical  to  those  interests.  While  they 
did  not  terminate  the  contract,  they  refused  to  appropriate  a 
sufficient  amount  for  its  profitable  prosecution.*  It  was  under 
these  circumstances  that  the  Collins  line  withdrew  their  steam- 
ships from  the  service.  They  were  virtually  "frozen  out"  by 
Congress.  The  "Baltic"  made  the  last  voyage  sailing  from  New 
York  on  January  16th,  1858.  The  hulls  of  these  vessels  were 
certainly  well  constructed,  and  the  engines  well  proportioned 
in  their  several  parts,  and  constructed,  to  have  stood  being 
continuously  "under  the  whip"  for  so  many  years. 

*  An  incident  regarding  this  line  of  steamships  and  the  subsidy 
was  thus  related  to  the  author  by  one  who  held  at  the  time  an  im- 
portant appointment  at  Washington,  who  was  informed  by  one  of  the 
principals  in  the  affair  of  the  facts  at  the  time. 

"At  the  time  of  the  loss  of  the  'San  Francisco,'  in  December,  1853, 
while  under  the  command  of  Capt.  James  T.  Watkins,  there  were  on 
board  as  passengers  about  two  hundred  officers  and  soldiers  of  the 
regular  army  who  were  destined  for  the  Pacific  coast.  All  on  board 
were  saved  by  two  sailing  vessels,  one  going  to  England  and  the  other 
to  a  port  in  the  United  States.  On  board  the  former  was  a  large 
company  of  the  soldiers,  who  were  finally  conveyed  to  Liverpool,  in 
company  with  the  captain  of  the  'San  Francisco.'  On  account  of  the 
anomalous  position  in  which  they  were  placed,  or  for  other  cause,  the 
officers  commanding  these  troops  were  very  anxious  to  return  to  the 
United  States  at  the  earliest  possible  moment.  With  this  view,  Captain 
Watkins  called  upon  the  agent  of  the  Collins  line  at  Liverpool  and 
asked  his  attention  to  the  peculiar  position  in  which  these  soldiers 
were  placed — a  company  of  the  regular  troops  on  British  soil  in  times 
of  peace — and  begged  him  to  make  immediate  provision  for  their  de- 
parture to  the  United  States  by  the  next  steamer  sailing.  This  he 
was  unable  or  unwilling  to  do.  Capt.  Watkins  then  went  to  London 
and  laid  the  matter  before  the  Hon.  James  Buchanan,  at  that  time  the 
American  Minister  to  England,  who  was  much  disturbed  at  the  refusal 
to  take  on  board  these  shipwrecked  United  States  troops,  when,  as  told, 
these  very  steamships  were  running  under  a  heavy  subsidy  from  the 
United  States  government  for  carrying  the  mail.  These  troops  were 
taken  on  board  a  succeeding  American  steamship,  but  the  American 
Minister  expressed  the  greatest  indignation  at  the  course  pursued  by  the 
foreign  managers  of  the  line  in  this  affair,  and  declared  that  he  would, 
on  his  return  to  the  United  States,  advise  a  cutting  down  of  the  mail 
pay  of  this  line.  Mr.  Buchanan  shortly  after  his  return  to  this 
country  was  elected  to  be  President  of  the  United  States." 


416  OCEAN    STEAMSHIPS. 

To  show  the  sectional  feeling  existing  at  this  time  in 
Congress,  the  following  is  an  extract  from  a  speech  made  by  a 
member  in  the  United  States  Senate,  at  a  time  the  measure 
was  under  discussion,  viz :  'It  concentrates  the  goods  at  what- 
ever point  you  bring  the  steamers,  and  that  is  another  objection 
I  have.  You  now  run  all  your  lines  of  steamers  from  New 
York,  except  a  little  one  from  Cuba  to  Charleston.  It  cheapens 
freights  at  New  York,  even  among  themselves;  it  concentrates 
there,  injuriously  to  the  rest  of  the  country.  If  you  pay  a  • 
hundred  ships  from  every  point  where  you  have  freight,  to 
bring  goods  in  for  nothing  to  New  York,  you  will  effectually 
violate  the  provision  of  the  Constitution  that  forbids  you  from 
discriminating  in  favor  of  one  port.  You  do,  by  running 
steamers  out  of  New  York,  cheapen  freights  to  that  particular 
point,  and  give  it  an  advantage  over  every  other  point  in  the 
country.  They  understand  it;  and  therefore  I  do  not  wonder 
that  those  who  are  not  mindful  of  the  great  principle  of  right, 
those  who  consider  that  the  supremest  good  is  to  benefit  them- 
selves at  the  cost  of  everybody  else,  worship  this  principle  of 
monopoly.  ...  I  trust  the  policy  you  have  half  inaugu- 
rated of  giving  no  more  subsidies  to  these  people,  but  granting 
tLo  letter  postages  to  anybody  that  will  bring  the  mails,  leaving 
them  to  rely  on  the  postages-  alone,  will  be  carried  out." 

In  the  appropriation  bill  for  the  same  year  was  a  provision 
that  was  the  first  of  its  kind  after  the  mail  steamers  were 
established  in  "appropriation  of  the  mail  compensations  to  our 
foreign  lines,  of  authorizing  the  payment  of  sea  and  inland 
postage  to  American  vessels,  and  sea  postage  only  if  by  a 
foreign  vessel;  but  preference  to  be  given  to  an  American 
vessel." 

The  first  disaster  that  the  fleet  of  the  company  met  with 
was  the  loss  of  the  "Arctic,"  on  September  27th,  1854,  the 
vessel  being  sunk  by  a  collision  with  the  French  propeller 
"Vesta"  when  40  miles  off  Cape  Race,  whereby  307  lives  were 
lost,  while  on  the  voyage  from  Liverpool  to  New  York.  The 
"Atlantic"  broke  her  shaft  when  nine  days  out  from  Liverpool, 
on  January  6th,  1851.  With  heavy  seas  and  head  winds, 
tried  to  make  port  at  Halifax  and,  being  unsuccessful,  tried 
Bermuda,  but  was  forced  at  last  to  head  for  Cork,  Ireland, 
where  she  arrived  January  22d.  Repairs  were  made  at  Liver- 


OCEAN    STEAMSHIPS.  417 

pool.  Then,  in  just  about  two  years  after  the  loss  of  the 
"Arctic,"  the  "Pacific,"  which  sailed  from  Liverpool  for  New7 
York  on  September  23d,  1856,  with  a  total  of  288  persons  on 
board  of  passengers  and  crew,  was  never  heard  from  after 
sailing.  This  loss  of  the  "Arctic"  was  evidently  one  of  the 
results  of  the  endeavors  to  make  fast  time.  The  collision  took 
place  at  about  noon,  in  a  very  dense  fog,  and  while  they  were 
going  under  a  speed  of,  it  was  estimated  by  those  on  board, 
13  miles  an  hour,  and  without  any  fog  signals  being  used  to 
warn  other  vessels  of  their  situation.  This  driving  ahead  at 
such  a  speed  under  conditions  similar  to  this  case  was  deemed 
extremely  hazardous  by  some  of  the  captains  of  the  line,  and 
one  who  was  thought  to  be  a  very  prudent  commander  is  known 
to  have  said  that  he  has  been  in  the  wheel-house  of  his  vessel 
with  the  bell  pull  in  his  hand,  and  has  trembled  for  the  safety 
of  his  vessel  and  passengers,  for  he  was  aware  of  the  great 
risk  he  run  in  dashing  ahead  at  such  a  rate  of  speed  in  a  fog, 
but  it  was  necessarj-  that  time  be  made. 

After  the  loss  of  the  "Arctic,"  as  one  of  the  chartered  ves- 
sels, the  "Nashville,"''  that  belonged  to  the  New  York  and 
Charleston  line,  made  one  voyage  in  the  Collins  line,  leaving 
New  York  in  March,  1855 ;  time,  12  days.  The  return  voyage 
was  made  in  16  days,  having  heavy  westerly  gales. 

Between  the  loss  of  the  "Arctic"  and  the  "Pacific"  the 
company  had  started  the  building  of  the  "Antarctic,"  or,  as 
afterwards  named,  the  "Adriatic."  This  vessel  was  originally 
completed  in  1856,  but  on  account  of  changes  made  in  the 
steam  valves  and  valve  gear  to  the  engines,  the  vessel  was  not 
ready  for  service  until  the  summer  of  1857.  These  were  the 
largest  marine  engines  of  that  type  built  in  this  country  to 
that  date.  The  hull  of  this  vessel  was  built  by  George  Steers, 
at  New  York  City.  The  dimensions  were:  length  over  all, 
351  feet  8  inches;  length  on  load  line,  343  feet  10  inches; 
breadth  of  beam,  molded,  48  feet  8  inches;  depth  of  hold  to 
spar  deck,  33  feet  2  inches;  draft  of  water  when  light,  17  feet 
1%  inches;  frame  molded  22  inches,  sides  13  inches  and  16 
inches,  and  apart  at  centres  33  inches  and  36  inches;  hull 
strapped  with  diagonally  and  double-laid  iron  straps  5  inches 
by  7/s  indies.  The  vessel  was  fitted  with  two  oscillating  en- 


418  OCEAN    STEAMSHIPS. 

gines,  by  the  Novelty  Iron  Works,  each  having  cylinders  of  100 
inches  diameter  by  12  feet  stroke;  main  shaft,  26%  inches 
diameter,  forged  at  Beading,  Pa.  There  were  also  two  Pirr- 
son's  surface  condensers.  Silver's  patent  marine  engine  gov- 
ernor was  fitted  to  the  engines  of  this  vessel,  as  well  as  to  the 
other  vessels  of  the  line.  The  surface  condensers  and  the 
governors  were  both  American  inventions.  There  were  eight 
Martin's  vertical  tubular  boilers,  same  tpye  as  in  the  other 
vessels,  for  a  working  pressure  of  steam  of  25  Ibs.  to  the 
square  inch.  Consumption  of  fuel  was  90  to  95  tons  every 
24  hours.  The  other  steamships  of  the  line  consumed  from  75 
to  85  tons  per  day.  The  water-wheels  were  40  feet  diameter 
with  32  buckets  12  feet  long  by  36  inches  deep.  Two  smoke 
chimneys,  each  40  feet  high  by  7  feet  diameter,  and  standing 
fore  and  aft.  This  vessel  made  but  one  voyage  to  Liverpool 
in  the  Collins  line,  leaving  New  York  November  21st,  1857,  and 
making  it  in  11  days  and  2  hours,  but  27  hours  of  this  time  the 
vessel  lay  to  on  account  of  hot  journals  and  other  causes. 
Alter  the  line  had  been  closed  out,  in  1858,  the  vessel  was 
laid  up  until  April,  1860,  when  the  North  Atlantic  S.  S.  Co., 
the  new  owners,  placed  her  on  the  line  from  New  York  to 
Southampton  and  Havre,  where  she  did  service  until  March, 
1861.  During  this  period  there  were  three  American  lines  to 
Havre,  and  none  of  them  with  a  mail  contract  with  the  United 
States  government:  the  "Fulton'-*  and  the  "Arago,"  in  Living- 
ston's line;  the  "Vanderbilt"  and  the  "Illinois,'*  in  Vanderbilt's 
line,  and  the  "Adriatic."  Just  previous  to  her  withdrawal 
from  the  Havre  line,  the  vessel  passed  into  the  possession  of 
the  Lever  line.  New  York  and  Gal  way,  and  under  the  British 
flag.  Before  the  "Adriatic"  was  accepted  for  the  British  mail 
service,  she  was  given  an  official  trial  in  March,  1861,  and  made 
four  runs  on  a  measured  mile,  with  the  following  results: 

1st  run — 4  min.  31  sec.,  or  13.284  knots  per  hour. 
2d    run— 3    "     18    "      "  18.18       "        «      •• 
3d    run— 4     "     20     "      "  13.846      "        "       u 
4th  run— 3    "     21     "       "  17.910      "        "      " 
Mean  speed  of  15.908  knots  per  hour. 
Revolutions  of  engines,  17  to  18  per  minute. 
Pressure  of  steam,  25  Ibs. 


OCEAK    STEAMSHIPS.  419 

Draft  of  water  forward,  17  feet  2  inches. 
Draft  of  water  aft,  18  feet  10  inches. 
Surface  condensers. 

After  the  withdrawal  of  the  vessels  from  the  Liverpool 
service  in  January,  1858,  trouble  for  the  company  commenced. 
They  were  not  the  only  business  enterprise  at  that  time  in 
the  country  in  financial  straits,  as  the  business  community 
was  but  just  beginning  to  recover  their  senses  after  the  panic 
in  the  Fall  of  1857.  The  vessels  were  seized  for  debt  and  sold 
by  the  sheriff,  on  April  1st,  1858,  for  f 50,000,  subject  to  claims 
amounting  to  $657,000 — some  of  which  were  disputed  by  the 
company — to  Dudley  B.  Fuller,  who  represented  the  former 
owners.  The  vessels  were  unemployed  for  a  period  of  over  a 
year,  having  in  that  time  been  overhauled,  but  in  September, 
1859,  the  "Baltic"  and  the  "Atlantic"  were  put  to  service  on 
"the  New  York  and  Aspinwall  route,  where  there  was  already 
plenty  of  excitement.  There  always  appears  to  have  been 
plenty  of  that  commodity  along  any  path  where  Commodore 
Vanderbilt  was  interested.  They  run  to  the  Isthmus  until 
March,  I860,  and  for  a  year  had  little  if  any  employment  until 
the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  when  they  were  chartered  by 
the  North  Atlantic  S.  S.  Co.  to  the  Quartermaster's  Bureau  of 
the  War  Department  at  once,  and  were  kept  under  charter  until 
near  the  close  of  the  conflict.  The  "Atlantic"  was  broken  up 
in  September,  1871,  in  Cold  Spring  Harbor,  New  York,  for  the 
old  metal  in  her.  The  "Baltic"  was  sold  about  1870  to  Boston, 
,Mass.,  parties.  wrho  removed  her  machinery  and  used  her  as  a 
sailing  vessel.  About  1880  this  vessel  was  also  broken  up, 
which  removed  from  usefulness  the  last  of  that  famous  but 
unfortunate  fleet  of  the  Collins  line. 

A  few  of  the  quick  voyages  of  these  vessels  would  include 
the 

D.H.M. 

"Pacific,"  May,  1851,  N.  Y.  to  Liverpool . .  9.20.16.  73  tons  coal. 
"Atlantic,"  July,  1852,  N. Y.  to  Liverpool .  10.00.15.  78    " 
"Baltic,"  Aug.,  1852,  Liverpool  to  N.  Y. .  .  9.13.00. 
"Arctic,"  Feb'y,  1853,  N.Y.  to  Liverpool .  9.17.12.  82 
"Baltic,"  Sept..  1857,  N.Y.  to  Liverpool..  9.23.00. 


420  OCEAN  STEAMSHIPS. 

• 

The  following  is  a  description  of  the  appearance  of  the 
"Atlantic,"  from  a  British  point  of  view,  on  her  first  arrival 
at  Liverpool:  "The  steamer's  appearance  is  not  prepossessing; 
she  is  undoubtedly  clumsy.  The  three  masts  are  low,  the 
funnel  is  short  and  dumpy,  there  is  no  bowsprit,  and  her  sides 
are  painted  black,  relieved  only  by  one  long  streak  of  dark  red. 
Her  length  between  perpendiculars,  that  is,  the  length  of  her 
keel,  is  276  feet;  breadth,  exclusive  of  paddle  boxes,  45  feet; 
thus  keeping  up  the  proportions  as  old  as  Noah's  ark  of  six 
of  length  to  one  of  breadth.  The  stern  is  rounded,  having  in 
the  centre  the  American  eagle  clasping  the  starred  and  striped 
shield,  but  no  other  device.  The  figure-head  is  of  colossal 
proportions,  intended,  some  say,  for  Neptune;  others  say  that 
it  is  the  old  Triton  blowing  his  wreathed  horn,  so  lovingly 
described  by  Wordsworth;  and  some  wags  assert  that  it  is 
the  proprietor  of  the  ship  blowing  his  own  trumpet.  The 
huge  bulk  of  the  ' Atlantic'  was  more  perceptible  by  contrast 
with  the  steamer — none  of  the  smallest — that  was  now  along- 
side, for,  though  the  latter  was  large  enough  to  accommodate 
about  four  hundred  people  on  deck,  yet  its  funnel  scarcely 
reached  as  high  as  the  bulwarks  of  the  ' Atlantic.'  The  diam- 
eter of  the  paddle-wheels  is  30  feet,  and  the  floats,  many  of 
which,  split  and  broken,  were  lying  about  in  the  water,  are 
nearly  15  feet  long. 

"Like  all  the  other  Atlantic  steamers,  the  run  of -the  deck 
is  almost  a  straight  line.  Around  the  funnel,  and  between 
the  paddle  boxes  is  a  long  wooden  house,  and  another  is  placed 
at  the  stern.  These  contain  the  staterooms  of  the  captain  and 
officers;  and  in  a  cluster  are  to  be  found  the  kitchen,  the  pastry 
room,  and  the  barber  shop.  The  two  former  are  like  similar 
establishments  replete  with  every  convenience,  having  even  a 
French  maitre  de  cuisine.  But  the  latter  is  very  unique.  It 
is  fitted  up  with  all  necessary  apparatus — with  glass  cases 
containing  perfumery,  etc.;  and  in  the  centre  is  the  barber's 
chair.  This  is  a  comfortable,  well-stuffed  seat,  with  an  in- 
clined back.  In  front  is  a  stuffed  trestle  on  which  to  rest 
feet  and  legs;  and  behind  is  a  little  stuffed  apparatus,  like  a 
crutch,  on  which  to  rest  the  head.  These  are  movable,  so  as 
to  suit  people  of  all  sizes;  and  in  this  comfortable  horizontal 
position  the  passenger  lies,  and  his  beard  is  taken  off  in  a 


OCEAN    STEAMSHIPS.  421 

twinkling,  let  the  Atlantic  waves  roll  as  they  may.  The  house 
at  the  stern  contains  a  smoking  room  and  a  small  compart- 
ment, completely  sheltered  from  the  weather,  for  the  steers- 
man. The  smoking-room  communicates  with  the  cabin  below, 
so  that,  after  dinner,  those  passengers  so  disposed  may,  with- 
out the  least  exposure  to  the  weather  or  annoyance  to  their 
neighbors,  enjoy  the  weed  of  old  Virginia  in  perfection.  This 
smoking-room  is  the  principal  prospect  of  the  man  at  the  helm, 
who,  however,  has  to  steer  according  to  his  signals.  Before 
him  is  a  painted  intimation  that  one  bell  means  "port"  and 
two  bells  "starboard":  a  like  intimation  appears  on  the  large 
bell  in  the  bow  of  the  ship;  and,  according  to  the  striking  of 
the  bell,  so  must  he  steer. 

"Proceeding  below,  we  come  to  the  great  saloon,  67  feet 
long,  and  the  dining  saloon,  60  feet  long,  each  being  20  feet 
broad,  and  divided  from  each  other  by  the  steward's  pantry. 
This  pantry  is  more  like  a  silversmith's  shop,  the  sides  being 
lined  with  glass  cases  stored  with  beautifully  burnished  plate. 
Crockery  of  every  description,  well  secured,  is  seen  in  great 
quantities,  and  the  neatness  of  arrangement  shows  that  the 
gilded  inscription  full  in  sight  of  every  visitor — "A  place  for 
everything,  and  everything  in  its  place" — has  been  reduced  to 
practice.  Above  the  tables  in  the  dining  saloon  are  suspended 
racks,  cut  to  receive  decanters,  glasses,  etc.,  so  that  they  can 
be  immediately  placed  on  the  table  without  the  risk  attendant 
on  carrying  them  from  place  to  place.  The  two  saloons  are 
fitted  up  in  a  very  superior  manner;  rose,  satin  and  olive  are 
the  principal  woods  that  have  been  used,  and  some  of  the 
tables  are  of  beautifully  variegated  marble,  with  metal  sup- 
porters. The  carpets  are  very  rich,  and  the  coverings  of  the 
sofas,  chairs,  etc.,  are  of  the  same  superior  quality.  The 
panels  around  the  saloons  contain  beautifully  finished  em- 
blems of  each  of  the  States  of  the  Union,  and .  a  few  other 
devices  that  savor  very  strongly  of  republicanism.  For 
example,  a  young  and  beautiful  figure,  all  radiant  with  health 
and  energy,  wearing  a  cap  of  liberty,  and  waving  a  drawn 
sword,  is  represented  trampling  on  a  feudal  prince,  from  whose 
head  a  crown  has  rolled  in  the  dust.  The  cabin  windows  are 
of  beautifully  painted  glass,  embellished  with  the  arms  of 
New  York  and  other  cities  in  the  States.  Large  circular  glass 


422  OCEAN    STEAMSHIPS. 

ventilators,  reaching  from  the  deck  to  the  lower  saloon,  are 
also  richly  ornamented,  while  handsome  mirrors  multiply  all 
this  splendor.  The  general  effect  is  of  chasteness  and  a 
certain  kind  of  solidity.  There  is  not  much  gilding,  the  colors 
used  are  not  gaudy,  and  there  is  a  degree  of  elegant  comfort 
about  the  saloons  that  is  sometimes  wanting  amid  splendid 
fittings.  There  is  a  ladies'  drawing-room  near  the  chief 
saloon,  full  of  every  luxury.  The  berths  are  about  150  in 
number,  leading  out  as  usual  from  the  saloons.  The  most 
novel  feature  about  them  is  the  wedding  berths,  wider  and 
more  handsomely  furnished  than  the  others,  intended  for  such 
newly  married  couples  as  wish  to  spend  the  first  fortnight  of 
the  honeymoon  on  the  Atlantic.  Such  berths  are,  it  seems, 
always  to  be  found  on  board  the  principal  river  steamers  in 
America,  but  are  as  yet  unknown  on  this  side  of  the  water. 
Each  berth  had  a  bell-rope  communicating  with  a  patented 
machine  called  the  "Annunciator."  This  is  a  circular  plate, 
about  the  size  of  the  face  of  an  eight-day  clock,  covered  with 
numbers  corresponding  with  those  of  the  staterooms.  Each 
number  is  concealed  by  a  semi-circular  plate,  which  is  removed 
or  turned  around  as  soon  as  the  rope  is  pulled  in  the  state- 
room with  the  corresponding  number.  A  bell  is  at  the  same 
time  struck  to  call  the  attention  of  the  stewards,  who  then 
replace  the  plate  in  its  former  position  and  attend  to  the 
summons. 

"The  machinery  which  propels  the  ship  consists  of  two 
engines,  each  of  500  horse-powrer,  the  engines  of  the  old  line 
being  also  two  in  number  but  only  about  400  horse-power 
each.  Such  cylinders,  and  shafts,  and  pistons,  and  beams  are, 
I  believe,  unrivalled  in  the  world.  There  are  four  boilers, 
each  heated  by  eight  furnaces,  in  two  rows  of  four  each.  The 
consumption  of  coal  is  about  50  tons  every  24  hours,  'and  that,' 
said  one  of  the  engineers,  'is  walking  pretty  fast  into  a  coal 
mine,  I  guess.'  According  to  the  calculations  of  the  very  wise 
men  who  predicted  the  failure  of  Atlantic  steam  navigation, 
such  a  vessel  as  the  'Atlantic'  ought  to  carry  3,700  tons  of 
coal;  but  it  will  be  seen  that  one-fourth  of  that  quantity  is 
more  than  enough,  even  making  allowance  for  extra  stores  to 
provide  against  accidents.  In  the  engine-room  is  a  long  box 
with  five  compartments,  each  communicating  with  a  wire 


OCEAN    STEAMSHIPS.  483 

fastened  like  a  bell-pull  to  the  side  of  the  paddle  box.  The 
handles  are  marked,  respectively,  "Ahead,"  "Slow,"  "Fast," 
"Back,"  and  "Hook  on,"  and  whenever  one  is  pulled,  a  printed 
card  with  the  corresponding  signal  appears  in  the  box  opposite 
the  engineer,  who  has  to  act  accordingly.  There  is  thus  no 
noise  of  human  voices  on  board  this  ship:  the  helmsman  steers 
by  his  bells,  the  engineer  works  by  the  telegraph,  and  the 
steward  waits  by  the  annunciator. 

"Some  traces  of  national  habits  struck  me  very  much. 
Even  in  the  finest  saloon  there  are  in  places  where  they  would 
be  least  expected,  handsome  spittoons — the  upper  part  fash- 
ioned like  a  shell  and  painted  a  sea  green  or  sky  blue  color — 
thus  giving  ample  facility  for  indulging  in  that  practice  of 
spitting  of  which  Americans  are  so  fond. 

"Upon  the  whole,  this  Atlantic  steamer  is  really  worthy 
of  the  great  country  from  which  she  came.  If  in  shape  and 
general  appearance  she  is  inferior  to  the  old  vessels,  she  is 
decidedly  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  them  in  machinery  and 
fittings.  Her  powers  as  regards  speed  have,  of  course,  yet  to 
be  tried.  One  voyage  is  no  test,  nor  even  a  series  of  voyages 
during  the  summer  months;  she  must  cross  and  re-^ross  at 
least  for  a  year  before  any  just  comparison  can  be  instituted." 

During  the  height  of  the  rivalry  between  the  Collins  and 
the  Cunard  lines,  there  appeared  a  letter  in  a  London  paper 
which  was  copied  very  extensively  at  the  time  into  the  English 
journals.  It  was  very  apparent  how  anxiously  some  English 
interests  desired  the  impression  to  prevail  that  the  Americans 
were  copyists,  and  that  for  the  signal  triumph  of  their  ocean 
steamers  they  were  indebted  to  British  genius  and  skill.  This 
letter  met  the  eye  of  James  Brown,  Esq.,  President  of  the 
Collins  line,  who  brought  it  to  the  notice  of  Stillman,  Allen  & 
Co.,  of  the  Novelty  Iron  Works,  whose  reply  is  annexed  and 
speaks  for  itself: 

"  BRITISH  AND  AMERICAN  STEAMERS. 

"In  your  number  of  the  4th  inst,  you  quoted  an  extract 
from  an  American  paper,  in  which  it  is  stated  that  improve- 
ments made  in  the  steam  engine  by  Americans  have  been 
adopted  in  building  the  last  fast  boats  of  the  Cunard  line,  and 
that  in  the  extra  fast  boats  of  the  same  line  now  in  course 


424  OCEAN"    STEAMSHIPS. 

of  construction,  'they  are  to  go  the  whole  figure,  and  fashion 
the  engines  entirely  after  the  most  approved  American  models.' 
By  giving  currency,  as  you  have  done,  on  this  and  other  recent 
occasions,  without  comment,  to  the  overweening  estimates 
which  the  Americans  form  of  their  own  superiority,  you 
appear  to  me,  Mr.  Editor,  to  do  much  towards  weakening  the 
well-founded  confidence  which  has  hitherto  been  entertained 
in  the  perfection  of  British  machinery,  thereby  injuring  British 
interests,  particularly  with  reference  to  the  demands  for  engines 
from  foreigners. 

"It  is  time,  therefore,  that  the  real  facts  of  the  case 
respecting  the  manufacture  of  the  engines  on  board  the  Collins 
American  line  of  steamers  (the  vessels  more  immediately 
alluded  to  in  the  American  newspaper)  should  be  made  known, 
which  I  now  do,  from  undoubted  authority,  and  as  regards 
some  of  the  particulars,  from  my  own  knowledge,  and  which 
are  as  follows: 

"The  United  States  Government,  perceiving  the  failure  of 
all  attempts  that  had  been  made  to  establish  an  American 
line  of  Atlantic  steamers  which  should  compete,  in  point  of 
speed  and  efficiency,  with  the  Cunard  line,  and  deeming  it  of 
the  greatest  national  importance  that  this  inferiority  should 
no  longer  continue,  subsidized  with  a  large  annual  subvention 
Collins  line  (besides,  it  is  believed,  giving  pecuniary  aid  in 
some  shape  or  other,  towards  the  construction  of  the  vessels), 
OR  condition  that  no  expense  should  be  spared  in  obtaining 
the  most  perfect  and  efficient  engines  that  could  be  construct- 
ed; and  as  there  was  at  that  time  (although  it  is  only  two 
years  ago)  no  manufacturer  in  the  United  States  who  could 
make  engines  fulfilling  these  conditions,  the  contractors  for 
the  American  line  turned  their  views  towards  the  Clyde,  and 
obtained  permission  from  the  proprietors  of  the  Cunard  line 
to  take  mouldings  or  castings  of  every  part,  even  to  the  min- 
utest particular,  of  the  engines  constructed  by  Napier,  of 
Glasgow,  on  board  the  largest  of  their  vessels;  and  in  order 
that  nothing  might  be  wanting  to  make  the  engines  equal  to 
those  in  the  Cunard  steamers,  the  contractors  imported  men 
from  the  manufactories  on  the  Clyde,  for  the  purpose  of 
making  the  engines  in  New  York,  so  that  they  might  be  of 
national  or  American  fabric. 


OCEAN    STEAMSHIPS.  425 

"As,  therefore,  the  last  constructed  and  fastest  of  the 
American  ocean-going  steamers  are  made  entirely  after  the 
British  model,  and  by  Britishers,  you  will  perceive,  Mr.  Editor, 
how  likely  it  is  that  the  Cunard  vessels  now  in  course  of 
construction  are  to  be  fitted  with  engines  made  after  the 
American  model. 

"Where,  indeed,  have  the  Americans  anything  better  to 
show  than  the  engines  on  board  the  Collins  line,  which  are 
made  after  the  British  model? 

"BRITANNICUS." 

Stillman,  Allen  &  Co.,  of  the  Novelty  Iron  Works,  having 
constructed  the  engines  for  the  "Atlantic"  and  the  "Arctic," 
replied  to  the  misstatements  in  this  letter  through  James 
Brown,  President  of  the  Collins  line,  in  the  following  manner: 
"JAMES  BROWN,  ESQ. 

"DEAR  SIR, — I  enclose  the  piece  cut  from  Galignani's 
Messenger.  It  is  quoted  from  the  London  Builder,  and  it  is 
strange,  indeed,  that  misrepresentations  so  utterly  without 
foundation  should  find  a  place  in  any  journal  of  any  respecta- 
bility. 

"The  writer  says,  as  'from  undoubted  authority,  and  as 
regards  some  particulars  from  his  own  knowledge/  that  'the 
contractors  of  the  American  line  obtained  permission  from  the 
proprietors  of  the  Cunard  line  to  take  mouldings  or  castings 
of  every  part,  even  to  the  minutest  particular,  of  the  engines 
constructed  by  Napier,  of  Glasgow,  on  board  the  largest  of 
their  vessels/ 

"It  does  not  seem  to  have  occurred  to  the  author  of  this 
remarkable  assertion,  whether  it  was  very  probable  that  the 
proprietors  of  the  Cunard  line  would  feel  disposed  to  render 
any  such  aid  to  a  rival  company,  nor  does  he  explain  by  what 
mechanical  process  the  ignorant  Yankees  were  able  'to  take 
mouldings  or  castings  of  every  part,  even  to  the  minutest 
details  of  engines/  on  board  of  a  vessel. 

"How  utterly  without  foundation  this  assertion  is,  any 
may  see  who  will  barely  look  at  the  two  sets  of  engines;  even 
a  casual  glance  is  enough  to  show  their  utter  dissimilarity 
throughout,  in  plan  and  in  detail;  not  one  piece  of  one  is  like 
one  piece  of  the  other;  and  on  this  point  the  engines  speak 


426  OCEAN    STEAMSHIP^. 

for  themselves.     They  dift'er  about  as  much  as  two  sets  of 
side-lever  engines  can  differ. 

"But  according  to  this  writer,  the  possession  of  all  the 
mouldings  or  castings  was  not  enough,  and  therefore  (he  goes 
on  to  say)  'in  order  that  nothing  might  be  wanting  to  make 
the  engines  equal  to  those  in  the  Cunard  steamers,  the  con- 
tractors imported  men  from  the  manufactories  on  the  Clyde, 
for  the  purpose  of  making  the  engines  in  New  York.' 

"A  few  facts  will  show  the  grossness  of  this  misrepre- 
sentation, and  exhibit  the  purely  American  character  of  the 
engines  we  built  for  your  company. 

"Of  the  proprietors  of  our  concern,  every  one  is  a  native 
of  the  United  States,  and  acquired  here  whatever  mechanical 
skill  or  knowledge  he  possesses. 

"Of  our  foremen,  every  man  (with  one  exception)  was  born 
in  the  United  States,  learned  his  trade  in  this  country,  and 
whatever  they  have  done  in  connection  with  the  marine 
engines,  has  been  at  our  works.  The  one  exception  referred 
tc  has  been  .employed  at  our  works  for  the  last  nineteen  years, 
and  never  did  any  work  for  marine  engines  in  any  other  place. 

"The  draughtsmen  who  made  the  drawings  are  our  pupils, 
and  acquired  all  the  knowledge  and  experience  they  have  in 
connection  with  steam  engines  in  our  drawing  room.  The  men 
who  superintended  the  setting  of  the  engines  are  also  natives 
of  the  United  States,  were  once  our  apprentices,  and  acquired 
at  our  works  whatever  skill  and  experience  they  have. 

"No  man  was  ever  imported  from  the  manufactories  of 
the  Clyde,  or  from  any  other  quarter,  with  reference  to  those 
engines,  and  neither  in  the  preparation  of  the  plans,  nor  in 
the  construction  of  the  work,  did  we  ever  receive  any  assist- 
ance, direct  or  indirect,  from  any  engineer  on  the  banks  of  the 
Clyde,  or  from  any  other  part  of  Great  Britain. 

"In  short,  the  engines  were  made  of  American  iron, 
forged  and  melted  with  American  coal;  they  were  planned  by 
American  heads,  and  'put  together  by  American  hands.  In 
plan  and  many  important  features,  they  differ,  not  merely 
from  the  Cunard  engines,  but  also  from  any  ever  built  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Atlantic,  and  we  are  happy  to  find  that  their 


6CEAN    STEAMSHIPS. 

excellence  is  so  far  acknowledged  as  to  render  our  English 
friends  anxious  to  claim  the  credit  of  having  produced  them. 
''Respectfully  yours, 

"STILLMAN,  ALLEN  &  Co., 

"New  York,  Dec.  23d,  1851."          "Novelty  Iron  Works' 

There  never  appeared  in  the  public  journals  any  denial 
to  these  statements  in  the  letter  of  "Britannicus,"  on  the 
part  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Allaire  Works,  who  constructed 
the  engines  for  the  "Pacific"  and  the  "Baltic,"  but  Mr.  Chas. 
W.  Copeland,  who  was  the  consulting  and  superintending 
engineer  of  these  works  at  the  time  of  the  building  of  the 
engines  for  these  vessels,  has  denied  to  the  author  of  this 
work,  in  decided  terms,  the  broad  assertions  made  in  the 
English  journal,  and  said  that  many  of  the  drawings  of  the 
principal  parts  of  these  engines  were  made  by  his  own  hands, 
and  that  he  neither  received  nor  asked  for  any  advice  or 
suggestions  from  any  engineer  from  the  Clyde  or  other  part 
of  Great  Britain,  in  the  designing  of  these  engines,  and  that 
they  were  the  work  of  American  engineers  in  design  and  con- 
struction. And  the  material  of  which  they  were  made  was  of 
domestic  manufacture  throughout  the  whole  list. 

The  first  American  screw  steamships  to  cross  the  Atlantic 
Were  the  "Pioneer,"  from  New  York  to  Liverpool,  in  October, 
1851,  and  the  "City  of  Pittsburg,"  from  Philadelphia. to  Liver- 
pool, in  December,  1851,  for  the  Philadelphia,  New  York  and 
Liverpool  Co.,  or,  as  afterwards  known,  the  Tnman  line.  This 
was  but  a  few  months  after  the  line  had  begun  operations. 
The  "Pioneer"  made  but  two  voyages  across  to  Europe,  and  the 
"City  of  Pittsburg"  not  many  more,  for  during  the  next  year 
they  were  in  service  on  the  Pacific  Ocean  during  the  gold 
excitement.  The  dimensions  of  the  "Pioneer's"  hull  were 
230'x42'x31',  while  the"City  of  Pittsburgh"  were  245'x38'x33'. 
Each  vessel  was  fitted  with  a  pair  of  vertical  direct-acting 
Trunk  engines,  having  cylinders  84"x51",  with  a  propeller  16 
feet  in  diameter.  The  vessels  were  far  from  being  a  success, 
their  engines  proving  very  expensive  to  run  and  costly  in 
repairs. 

In  1853  the  steamship  "Ericcson"  was  built  at  New  York 
by  a  few  New  York  capitalists,  to  test  the  principle  of  using 


OCEAN    STEAMSHIPS.  439 

hot:  air  instead  of  steam  as  a  motive  power.  She  made  a  trial 
trip  to  Washington  during  the  following  winter,  when  she 
developed  an  average  speed  of  8  miles  per  hour  upon  a  con- 
sumption of  5  tons  of  coal,  in  24  hours.  This  speed  not  being 
sufficient  to  compete  with  fast  steamers,  the  capitalists  were 
not  willing  to  invest  in  the  enterprise  for  any  further  experi- 
ments; so  these  engines  were  removed  and  a  steam  engine 
and  boilers  wrere  erected  in  their  place,  after  which  the  vessel 
did  creditable  service  in  the  Collins  line  for  one  year,  then  in 
the  Bremen  line,  and  was  used  as  a  transport  during  the 
Rebellion.  She  was  subsequently  sold  to  parties  in  Boston, 
after  her  motive  power  had  been  removed,  and  was  fitted  as 
a  sailing  vessel  for  the  East  India  trade. 

In  February,  1855,  Commodore  Vanderbilt  made  a  propo- 
sal to  the  Post  Office  Department  to  run  a  semi-monthly  line 
between  New  York  and  Liverpool,  to  alternate  with  the  Collins 
line,  and  asked  $15,000  a  trip  if  he  might  confine  his  steamers 
to  the  average  speed  of  the  Cunard  line,  or  $19,250,  if  they 
were  expected  to  make  as  good  time  as  the  Collins  steamships 
had  made;  the  contract  to  be  for  five  years.  Congress  refused 
the  proposal  after  considerable  discussion  on  the  subject. 
During  this  year  Vanderbilt  placed  the  "North  Star,"  a  vessel 
built  in  1852,  of  2,800  tons,  and  known  as  his  yacht,  with  the 
"Ariel/7  then  a  new  vessel  of  about  2,000  tons,  on  the  route  to 
Southampton  and  Havre,  and  again  proposed  to  make  a  mail 
contract  with  the  United  States  Government,  his  proposal 
being  $16,680  a  voyage,  the  same  compensation  as  paid  by 
Great  Britain  to  the  Cunard  line,  but  he  was  again  unsuccess- 
ful. These  two  vessels  run  until  November  of  that  year,  when 
withdrawn  for  the  season.  In  1856  he  run  the  "North  Star" 
on  the  Bremen  route,  for  two  voyages  only.  During  1857  the 
"Vanderbilt,"  the  "Ariel/-  and  the  "North  Star"  were  running 
to  Southampton  and  Bremen  until  December  of  that  year.  It 
had  been  found  by  this  time  that  ocean  steamers  fitted  with 
the  beam  engine  were  not  so  well  adapted  for  the  heavy 
weather  of  the  North  Atlantic  as  those  with  their  engines 
more  concentrated  in  the  hold  of  the  vessel. 

The  "Vanderbilt"  was  constructed  in  1856,  by  Jeremiah 
Siinonson,  at  New  York.  Her  dimensions  were:  Length  on 
deck,  331  feet;  beam,  37  feet  6  inches,  and  depth  of  hold,  24 


430  OCEAN    STEAMSHIPS. 

feet  6  inches;  loaded  draught,  19  feet  6  inches.  Frames  21 
inches  and  sided  15  inches,  and  32  inches  from  centres,  and 
braced  with  iron  straps  5  inches  by  %-inch  double.  There  were 
four  water-tight  compartments.  The  vessel  was  fitted  with 
two  vertical  beam  engines,  having  cylinders  of  90  inches  diam- 
eter and  12  feet  stroke  each,  built  by  the  Allaire  Works;  with 
four  return  tubular  boilers,  and  two  smoke  chimnies,  40  feet 
high  and  8  feet  8  inches  diameter  each.  The  water-wheels" 
were  41  feet  diameter  and  10  feet  face. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1857  the  "Washington"  and  the 
"Herman"  were  withdrawn  from  the  European  trade.  In  1858 
Vanderbilt  run  the  "Ariel,"  and  for  a  short  time  the  "North 
Star"  to  Southampton  and  Bremen  until  November,  and  the 
"Vanderbilt"  and  the  "North  Star"  from  April  until  November 
to  Havre  and  Southampton.  None  of  these  vessels  run  during 
the  Winter  and  Spring  of  '59,  until  the  following  May,  when 
the  "Vanderbilt,"  the  "Ariel,"  and  the  "Ocean  Queen,"  the 
latter  about  as  large  as  the  "Vanderbilt,"  but  with  less 
power,  run  to  Havre  until  the  winter  months.  The  "North 
Star"  had  been  transferred  to  the  New  York  and  Aspinwall 
route,  wTith  the  "Northern  Light"  as  a  consort,  as  there  was 
plenty  of  opposition  again  among  the  California  lines.  The 
"Washington"  wras  now  running  to  Nicaragua,  connecting  with 
the  "Herman"  on  the  Pacific  side.  During  1860  the  "Vander- 
bilt" and  the  "Illinois,"  the  latter  built  by  George  Law  for  the 
mail  line  to  Aspinwall,  in  1851,  run  to  Havre  until  November, 
having  as  an  opposition  the  "Adriatic,"  while  the  "Fulton"  and 
the  "Arago"  had  been  running  during  every  month  in  the 
year  all  these  years,  being  well  patronized  by  the  American 
traveling  public.  The  last  voyage  of  the  steamers  of  this 
line  was  made  by  the  "Arago,"  leaving  New  York  March  30th, 
1861. 

The  "Vanderbilt"  was  chartered  by  the  government  as  a 
transport  for  three  months  in  1861,  at  f 2,000  per  day,  and  in 
March,  1862,  was  made  a  present  to  the  United  States  gov- 
ernment through  the  President,  at  a  time  when  they  were  in 
need  of  staunch  and  fast  sea-going  steamers.  Her  deck  houses 
were  removed,  and  guns  placed  on  board,  and  especially  pre- 
pared with  the  purpose  of  running  down  the  "Merriniac,"  but 
the  "Monitor"  finished  up  that  duty  without  any  aid  in  the 


OCEAN    STEAMSHIPS.  431 

destruction  of  the  vessel.  The  "Vanderbilt"  subsequently  did 
good  and  effective  service  during  the  Kebellion  searching  for 
Confederate  privateers,  having  been  transferred  from  the  War 
Department  to  the  Navy  Department,  in  September,  1862.  At 
the  close  of  the  conflict  the  vessel  was  ordered  to  the  North 
Pacific  squadron,  where  she  was  employed  until  1868,  and 
from  which  time  she  was  laid  up  at  the  Mare  Island  Navy 
Yard.  In  December,  1872,  she  was  appraised  at  $84,800,  and 
sold  to  George  Howes,  April  18th,  1873,  for  |42,000,  who, 
having  removed  her  machinery,  converted  the  hull  into  a 
sailing  vessel  under  the  name  of  the  "Three  Brothers." 

The  larger  number  of  Commodore  Vanderbilt's  steam- 
ships— if  not  all — were  afterwards  sold  to  the  Atlantic  Mail 
Steamship  Co.,  that  made  such  a  splurge  for  a  few  years  and 
then  went  by  the  board.  All  of  his  ocean-going  vessels  had 
beam  engines,  some  single  and  some  double  engines.  It  was 
thought  when  the  "Vanderbilt"  was  a  new  vessel  that  it  was 
the  fastest  ocean  steamship  running  from  the  port  of  New 
York;  there  was  certainly  plenty  of  power  in  the  vessel. 

Commodore  Vanderbilt  received  in  mail  pay  of  sea  and 
inland  postages  to  Bremen  in  the  fiscal  year  of  1858,  and  to 
Havre  in  1859,  1860  and  1861,  the  sum  of  three  hundred  and 
sixty  thousand  seven  hundred  and  thirty  and  48/100  dollars 
(1360,730.48). 

No  merchant  steamship  under  the  American  flag  again 
crossed  the  Atlantic  Ocean  until  1866,  when  Ruger  Bros,  and 
associates,  of  New  York,  composed  of  W.  H.  Webb,  E.  W. 
BarstowT,  and  others,  started  the  North  American  Lloyds, 
which  company  purchased  the  steamships  "Atlantic,"  the 
"Baltic,"  and  the  "Western  Metropolis,"  and  at  times  char- 
tered the  "Ericcson,"  the  "Merrimac,"  the  "Mississippi"  and 
the  "Northern  Light,"  running  them  between  New  York  and 
Bremen,  touching  at  Southampton  both  ways.  This  enter- 
prise proved  a  failure.  In  1867  Ruger  Bros.,  with  other 
associates,  formed  the  New  York  and  Bremen  Steamship  Com- 
pany. The  "Atlantic,"  the  "Baltic,"  and  the  "Western  Met- 
ropolis" were  placed  in  service,  with  the  "Northern  Light"  as 
a  chartered  vessel,  and  these  four  steamships  run  between 
New  York  and  Bremen,  but  with  no  better  results  than  attend- 
ed the  other  company.  In  1868  Ruger  Bros,  chartered  the 


432  OCEAN"    STEAMSHIPS. 

"Arago,"  the  "Ariel,"  the  "Circassian/'  the  "Northern  Light," 
and  the  "Quaker  City,"  and  run  them  to  Bremen,  via  South- 
ampton and  Havre,  but  they  proving  to  be  expensive  vessels 
to  run — large  consumers  of  fuel  for  the  power — the  line  was 
withdrawn,  and  the  trade  left  in  the  hands  of  the  North 
German  Lloyds.  In  1869  Ruger  Bros,  chartered  the  "Ariel," 
"Fulton,"  the  "Guiding  Star,"  the  "Northern  Light,"  and 
"Santiago  de  Cuba,"  placing  them  on  the  route  between  New 
York  and  Stettin,  Copenhagen  and  Christiansand  for  one  trip 
each,  and  met  with  but  very  indifferent  success.  Next  year 
they  chartered  the  "Ocean  Queen"  and  the  "Rising  Star,"  and 
run  them  for  one  trip  only.  This  voyage  of  the  "Rising  Star" 
was  the  -last  under  the  American  flag  until  the  formation  of 
the  American  line,  in  1871. 

In  1871  the  Pennsylvania  R.  R.  Co.,  desirous  of  increasing 
the  import  business  coming  to  their  railroad,  was  the  means 
of  the  formation  of  the  American  line  of  that  year.  The  com- 
pany was  organized  with  a  capital  of  $2,500,000,  and  a  contract 
\vas  made  with  the  Cramp  Shipbuilding  Company  for  the  con- 
struction of  four  first-class  iron  steamships  of  3,000  tons  each, 
and  to  have  an  average  speed  of  thirteen  knots  an  hour.  The 
steamers  were  intended  to  carry  the  mails  and  conduct  a  gen- 
eral freight  and  passenger  business  between  Philadelphia  and 
Liverpool,  calling  at  Queenstown.  The  "Pennsylvania,"  the 
pioneer  vessel  of  the  line,  was  launched  in  August,  1872,  and 
made  her  first  voyage  in  May  of  1873.  The  "Ohio,"  the 
"Indiana,"  and  the  "Illinois"  followed  at  regular  intervals. 
They  were  360  feet  long,  42  feet  beam,  and  33  feet  depth  of 
hold.  As  respecting  the  speed  of  the  vessels,  their  time  com- 
pared very  favorably  with  the  best  voyages  at  that  time.  It 
was  in  the  "Indiana"  that  General  Grant,  on  May  17th,  1877, 
took  his  departure  from  Philadelphia  on  starting  upon  his  trip 
around  the  world. 

Average  time,  American  line,  Cape  Henlopen  to  Queens- 
town,  during  1875,  '76,  '77  and  '78  were: 

Eastward.     D.H.M.  Westward.     D.  H.  M. 

1875 9.15.26        1875 10.21.38 

1876 9.08.48       1876 10.10.11 

1877. 9.11.53       1877. . .  . 10.03.02 

1878..  .   9.10.48       1878..  .10.03.41 


OCEAN    STEAMSHIPS.  433 

In  1884  the  steamers  of  this  line  ceased  running  as  an 
American  line,  having  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Interna- 
tional Navigation  Co.,  incorporated  in  May,  1871,  by  the  State 
of  Pennsylvania,  or  Red  Star  Line,  which  absorbed  the  Inman 
line  in  1886,  that  had  run  between  New  York  and  Liverpool 
since  1856. 

The  present  American  line  is  the  result  of  an  Act  of 
Congress  of  May  10th,  1892,  providing,  with  other  conditions, 
that  certain  foreign-built  steamships  should  receive  American 
register,  on  condition  that  steamships  of  corresponding  ton- 
nage were  built  in  the  United  States.  This  led  to  the  "City 
of  Paris"  and  the  "City  of  New  York"  receiving  American 
registers  in  1893,  and  their  names  were  then  abbreviated  to 
"Paris"  and  "New  York."  Contracts  were  made  with  the 
William  Cramp  S.  &  E.  Bldg.  Co.  for  two  steamships  as  pro- 
vided for  in  the  Act  of  Congress  referred  to,  and  in  1894  the 
"St.  Louis"  wras  launched,  and  in  the  following  year  the 
"St.  Paul"  was  launched.  These  vessels  had  the  first  quad- 
ruple expansion  engines  built  in  the  United  States  for  the 
Atlantic  service.  As  the  Red  Star  line,  the  company  have  a 
large  fleet  of  steamships  of  foreign  construction,  mainly 
running  to  Antwerp. 

The  "Paris,"  while  on  a  voyage  from  Southampton,  Eng- 
land, to  New  York,  on  the  morning  of  May  21st,  1899,  run 
ashore  at  Lowland  Point.  No  lives  were  lost  nor  personal 
injury  caused  by  the  accident.  The  vessel  remained  in  that 
position  until  July  llth,  when  taken  to  Milford,  via  Fal- 
mouth,  and  arrived  at  the  former  port  July  15th,  and  was  there 
placed  in  dry  dock  August  23d.  A  few  months  later,  after 
being  temporarily  repaired,  the  vessel  was  towed  to  Belfast, 
Ireland,  at  the  works  of  Harland  &  Wolff,  where  the  hull  was 
rebuilt  and  mostly  new  engines  and  boilers  fitted  in  the  vessel. 
The  shape  of  the  vessel  was  so  altered  in  rebuilding  as  to 
include  the  main  shafts  of  the  twin-screw  engines  inside  the 
hull  for  the  greater  portion  of  their  length.  Her  name  was 
then  changed  to  "Philadelphia,"  and  she  was  placed  in  com- 
mission in  the  latter  part  of  1901.  The  "New  York"  has  been 
in  the  dry  dock  at  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  since  the  fall  of  1901,  for 
several  months,  with  the  same  rebuilding  of  the  after  part  of 
the  hull  as  the  "Paris."  These  two  vessels,  with  the  "St.  Paul" 


434  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

and  the  "St.  Louis,"  were  chartered  by  the  Navy  Department 
during  the  Spanish  and  American  War  of  1898,  as  auxiliary 
cruisers,  the  two  former  being  known  as  "Yale"x"Paris",  and 
"Harvard"x"New  York."  The  "St.  Louis"  and  the  "St.  Paul" 
the  Navy  Department  paid  for  each  $2,500  a  day,  while  for 
the  use  of  the  "Paris"  and  the  "New  York,"  $2,000  a  day  for 
each  vessel  while  in  the  service. 

The  record  passages  of  the  vessels  of  the  American  line 
from  Southampton  to  New  York  are:  "Paris,  July  15th,  1893, 

6  days  9  hours  and  37  minutes;  "New  York,"  September  8th, 
1894,  6  days  7  hours  and  14  minutes;  "St.  Louis,"  August  1st, 
1896,  6  days  2  hours  and  24  minutes;  "St.  Paul,"  August  8th, 
1896,  6  days  0  hours  and  31  minutes. 

From  Cherbourg.  "St.  Paul,"  August  30th,  1900,  6  days 

7  hours  and  52  minutes;    "New  York,"  August  25th,  1900,  6 
days,.  18  hours  and  57  minutes. 

In  the  subsidy  war  in  Congress  of  1855  and  '56,  the  Cunard 
line  was  in  the  front,  with  the  German  lines  bringing  up  a 
good  rear  for  the  protection  of  the  interests  of  the  foreign 
transatlantic  lines,  while  the  present  subsidy  measure  is  op- 
posed by  the  German  lines  as  the  advance  guard,  while  the 
English  lines  are  not  so  prominent  in  their  apparent  opposi- 
tion as  in  the  former  case. 


COASTWISE  STEAMSHIP  LINES. 

The  first  coastwise  voyages  by  steam  vessels  were  of  those 
that  had  been  built  in  the  Northern  States  and  sent  south  for 
service.  They  were  comparatively  very  small  vessels.  After 
the  short  voyage  of  the  "Phenix,"  in  1809,  the  "Sea  Horse,"  the 
first  American  beam-engine  steamboat,  left  New  York  for  New 
Orleans,  La.,  and  arrived  there  on  February  6th,  1819,  in  13 
days.  It  is  altogether  probable  that  this  vessel  remained  until 
worn  out  in  southern  waters.  Then  there  was  a  "steam 
schooner,"  or  a  steam  vessel  rigged  as  a  schooner,  for  they 
were  generally  rigged  with  masts  and  sails  at  that  period, 
named  "Bamapo,"  that  left  New  York,  January  4th,  1819,  and 
arrived  at  New  Orleans  February  25th,  1819.  She  was  de- 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  435 

stroyed  by  the  explosion  of  her  boiler  in  March,  1826.  Phila- 
delphia, Pa.,  supplied  some  experiments  of  early  sea-going 
vessels  in  the  "Maid  of  Orleans,"  a  three-master,  leaving 
December  3d,  1818,  for  Mobile,  Ala.,  and  arriving  there  Janu- 
ary 21st,  1819,  to  run  between  Mobile  and  New  Orleans.  She 
did  not  remain  there  very  long,  for  she  was  destroyed  by 
explosion  of  her  boiler  during  the  same  year,  while  on  the 
Savannah  River,  Georgia.  There  was  also  sent  at  the  same 
time  from  Philadelphia,  the  "Mississippi,"  but  she  was  in  so 
much  trouble  on  the  way  that  she  did  not  arrive  at  her 
destination  for  several  months.  Then  Boston  parties  sent  a 
small  steamboat,  named  "Mobile,"  of  150  tons,  that  was  37 
days  in  the  voyage  to  Mobile,  Ala.,  on  January  21st,  1819,  to 
run  on  the  Alabama  River.  The  largest  of  them  all  was  the 
"Manhattan,"  schooner  rigged,  of  450  tons,  built  by  a  company 
at  New  York  City,  and  sailed  from  that  city  on  November  3d. 
1819,  with  nine  passengers  and  a  full  load  of  freight  for  New 
Orleans,  La.,  and  Louisville,  Ky.,  and  arrived  at  the  former 
city  on  November  27th.  She  left  for  Louisville,  but,  owing 
to  ice  and  low  water  in  the  rivers,  was  a  long  time  making 
the  trip.  She  wras  again  at  New  Orleans  in  the  following 
March,  and  here  her  record  ends.  There  were  during  the  year 
some  four  or  more  small  steam  vessels  that  also  tried  the 
voyage  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  None  of  the  speculations  in 
sending  low-pressure  engine  steam  vessels  to  southern  and 
western  rivers  seem  to  have  been  a  success.  There  was  a 
steamboat  built  at  Baltimore,  Md.,  in  1818,  to  run  from  Havana 
to  Matanzas,  Island  of  Cuba,  and  upon  her  arrival,  in  January, 
1819,  at  the  former  port,  "astonished  the  natives."  This  was 
probably  the  first  steam  vessel  that  had  been  in  Havana 
waters.  There  was  a  steam  sloop,  named  "Albemarle,"  in 
December,  1818,  and  for  a  few  voyages,  that  run  between  New 
York  and  Wilmington  and  Edenton,  N.  C. 

The  steam  brig  "New  York"  was  built  at  Norfolk,  Va.,  by 
W.  A.  Hunter,  and  launched  May  22d,  1822,  of  281  tons.  She 
was  owned  by  her  builder;  Richard  Churchwood,  her  captain; 
Geo.  Rowland,  Thos.  B.  Rowland,  and  others.  She  was  fitted 
with  an  engine  of  50  H.  P.,  that  was  one  of  the  early  beam  en- 
gines, built  by  Daniel  Dod,  of  Elizabethtown,  N.  J.,  who  built 
several  about  this  time,  some  with  wooden  beams.  The  "Maid 


436  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

of  Orleans"  was  another.  The  "New"  York"  began  her  service 
between  New  York  and  Norfolk  in  September,  1822,  and  con- 
tinued it,  with  the  exception  of  a  portion  of  the  winter,  till 
October,  1823,  when  withdrawn  from  the  route,  the  vessel 
proving  more  expensive  than  the  sailing  vessels  to  operate, 
and  not  making  on  an  average  any  better  time.  She  went 
ashore  in  a  dense  fog  on  October  10th,  1823,  near  Cape  Hen- 
lopen,  and  it  was  thought  at  first  that  her  chances  for  getting 
afloat  once  more  were  very  small,  but  in  a  few  weeks  she  was 
in  her  native  element  again.  She  was  sold  in  the  spring  of 
1824,  to  close  up  the  interests  in  the  enterprise,  and,  after  a 
short  service  around  New  York,  taken  to  the  coast  of  Maine. 
She  was  again  running  from  NewT  York  to  Norfolk  for  a  short 
time  in  1825,  and  returned  to  the  coast  of  Maine  in  the  fall 
of  that  year. 

The  first  steam  vessel  built  for  the  ocean  service  was  the 
"Robert  Fulton,"  constructed  by  Henry  Eckford,  at  New  York, 
in  1819,  for  David  Dunham  &  Co.,  for  the  trade  between  New 
York  and  the  Island  of  Cuba,  touching  at  Charleston,  S.  C., 
and  New  Orleans,  La.  The  hull  of  this  vessel  was  158'x33'xl5' 
deep,  with  10  feet  draft,  having  paddle  wheels  24  feet  diameter. 
The  motive  power  was  a  "square  engine"  of  44  inches  cylinder 
by  5  feet  stroke,  built  by  the  Allaire  Works.  The  connecting 
rods  operated  cog-wheel  cranks  on  the  water-wheel  shafts, 
gearing  into  cog  wheels  on  a  flywheel  shaft,  the  wheels  run- 
ning on  each  side  of  the  cylinder.  The  boilers  were  of  copper, 
placed  forward  of  the  engine,  with  two  smoke  chimnies,  placed 
side  by  side  in  front  of  the  gallowrs  frame.  The  engine  of  this 
vessel  was  constructed  under  the  supervision  of  a  Mr.  Jasper 
Lynch,  who  had  acquired  his  knowledge  of  the  steam  engine 
while  in  the  employ  of  Robert  Fulton.  It  is  thought  that 
Cadwallader  Colden  and  Henry  Eckford  were  interested  in 
the  building  and  operation  of  this  vessel  with  Henry  Dunham. 
Her  time  was  about,  New  York  to  Charleston  4  days,  Charles- 
ton to  Havana  4  days.  Havana  to  New  Orleans  3  days. 

This  vessel  was  a  success  as  a  sea-going  steamer,  having 
encountered  at  times  very  severe  weather  without  any  serious 
damage.  Left  New  York  on  her  first  voyage  April  20th,  1820. 
After  running  for  about  five  years,  the  business  was  found  to 
be  not  sufficient  to  make  the  enterprise  a  success  financially, 


COASTWISE  STEAMSHIP  LINES.  43? 

and  the  line  was  abandoned.  Mr.  Dunham  dying  in  1825,  the 
vessel  was  sold  to  the  Brazilian  government,  after  the  ma- 
chinery was  removed,  and  was  finally  wrecked  on  the  coast  of 
Brazil. 

V^The  first  coastwise  steamers  in  use  after  the  "Savannah" 
and  the  "Robert  Fulton"  were  those  from  New  York  to  Char- 
leston, S.  C.  They  were  not  steamships  as  we  have  had 
since  1846,  but  were  similar  to  those  then  on  Long  Island 
Sound,  with  the  exception  that  their  guards  in  some  cases  were 
not  run  so  far  forward  and  aft  of  the  water  wheels,  and  with 
their  boilers  in  the  hold  of  the  vessel.  These  vessels  were 
known  as  steam  packets.  The  first  of  these  vessels  was  the 
"David  Brown,"  built  in  1832,  for  J.  P.  Allaire,  to  run  to  Red 
Bank,  N.  J.,  to 'transport  the  ironware  from  his  Howell  Iron 
Works  to  New  York.  She  was  a  small  vessel,  being  but 
136'xl8'x8'3,  and  run  to  Red  Bank  for  a  few  months,  when,  in 
November  of  1832,  she  was  placed  in  the  coastwise  service. 
Small  as  she  was  for  such  a  long  route,  she  remained  there 
for  two  years,  until  the  larger  vessels  were  built,  when,  in  1835, 
she  was  run  between  New  York  and  Norfolk,  Va.)(This  vessel 
was  shortly  after  sold  and  sent  to  the  West  Indies,  where  sho 
was  worn  out  about  1845.  Prior  to  running  coastwise,  there 
was  a  frame  protection  built  under  her  guards,  that  sub- 
sequently on  other  vessels  developed  into  sponsons.  In  1833 
the  "William  Gibbons"  was  built  for  the  same  parties,  of  in- 
creased dimensions,  and  run  with  the  "David  Brown"  a  part  of 
the  time  until  lost  on  Body  Island,  on  the  coast  of  North  Caro- 
lina, in  October,  1836.  A  change  had,  prior  to  this  come  in 
the  ownership  of  the  vessels.  The  principal  owners  were  J.  P. 
Allaire,  John  Haggerty,  and  Charles  Morgan,  the  latter  man- 
aging director  of  the  line.  It  was  known  as  the  Southern 
Steam  Packet  Company.  A  year  after  the  "William  Gibbons" 
was  built,  Charles  Morgan  and  others  had  built  the  "Colum- 
bia," to  run  on  the  same  route,  a  vessel  larger  than  the  others. 
This  vessel  was  177'x22'xlO',  with  a  square  engine  of  56"x6', 
and  had,  so  far  as  known,  the  first  staterooms  on  a  vessel  on 
the  coast.  There  were  four  on  the  promenade  deck,  with  two 
berths  in  each.  After  the  "Gibbons"  was  lost,  J.  P.  Allaire 
had  another  vessel  constructed  that  was  larger  than  any  of  her 
predecessors,  being  212'x22'xl2',  with  a  "square"  engine  of 


438  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

56"x9  feet,  and  named  the  "Home."  It  will  be  noticed  the 
narrow  beam  for  her  length.  There  is  every  reason  to  believe 
this  was  the  first  vessel  in  this  country  with  sponsons  under 
the  guards.  All  the  machinery  for  these  vessels  were  built 
at  the  Allaire  Works.  This  vessel  was  lost  on  her  third 
voyage  to  Charleston  on  November  9th,  1837,  during  a  north- 
east gale,  going  ashore  near  Cape  Hatteras,  with  the  loss  of 
about  one  hundred  lives.  The  disaster  to  this  vessel  was  the 
main  cause  of  making  it  an  unprofitable  investment  in  employ- 
ing that  class  of  steam  vessels  on  a  coastwise  route.  The  same 
year,  Charles  Morgan  and  others  had  another  vessel  built 
about  the  same  size  as  the  "Columbia,"  named  "New  York," 
and  was  running  with  the  former  when  the  "Home"  was  lost. 
Allaire's  company  had  another  vessel  of  about  same  length 
built,  but  much  heavier,  to  stand  the  shock  and  strain  of  heavy 
weather,  but  not  a  steamship  for  all.  This  was  the  "Neptune." 

These  vessels  run  more  or  less  for  about  three  years, 
when  withdrawn  from  the  service  in  1839.  They  run  but 
eight  or  nine  months  in  a  year,  laying  up  during  the  winter 
months,  and  carried  passengers  and  light  freight  or  express 
matter  only.  Their  successful  operation  may  be  attributed 
partly  to  the  use  of  anthracite  coal  under  the  boilers.  Whether 
by  natural  draught  or  by  blowers,  no  record  has  thus  far  been 
found.  In  the  height  of  their  prosperity  it  was  claimed  that 
they  cleared  from  $1,000  to  $2,000  a  trip,  and  during  the 
spring  and  fall  seasons  the  vessels  were  often  too  crowded 
with  passengers  for  safety  in  case  of  abnormal  conditions 
arising.  The  "Columbia"  and  the  "New  York"  were  sent 
in  1838  by  Charles  Morgan  to  New  Orleans,  where  they  became 
the  pioneers  of  the  Morgan  line  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  run- 
ning from  New  Orleans  to  Galveston,  Texas.  The  "Neptune" 
was  sold  to  Texan  parties,  but  in  a  few  years  was  in  northern 
waters  again. 

How  those  vessels,  with  the  exception  of  the  "Neptune," 
could  run  for  six  consecutive  months  on  the  coast  without 
meeting  with  the  fate  of  the  "Home"  is  surprising,  unless  they 
run  for  a  harbor  at  the  first  hard  blow  and  remained  until  it 
was  over.  When  we  read  of  the  vessels  that  went  around 
Cape  Horn  to  California  in  1850,  on  another  page,  it  seems  as 
though  there  was  not  so  much  risk  for  these  vessels,  but  Cape 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES'.  439 

Hatteras  is  a  locality  for  a  light  built  vessel  in  heavy  weather 
to  avoid. 

W.  C.  Redfield,  an  engineer  of  New  York,  in  1842,  says 
regarding  the  loss  of  the  "Home": 

"This  unfortunate  vessel  was  constructed  and  equipped  by 
Mr.  Allaire,  an  enterprising  engineer  who  had  been  engaged 
in  the  construction  of  engines  and  steam  vessels  almost  from 
their  first  introduction.  With  a  mind  apt  to  appreciate  the 
means  necessary  for  safe  navigation,  he  had  ventured  some 
years  previous  to  this  period,  to  equip  and  send  forth  the 
"David  Brown/'  a  truly  American  steamer,  upon  the  waters 
of  the  Atlantic,  which,  notwithstanding  the  fears  and  pre- 
dictions of  nautical  men,  proved  an  excellent  and  sea-worthy 
steamer. 

"Two  other  vessels  were  successfully  placed  on  the  route 
from  New  York  to  Charleston  by  Mr.  Allaire  and  his  asso- 
ciates, each  winning  additional  confidence  and  applause  from 
the  observant  navigator.  One  of  these  vessels  having  been 
lost  by  error  of  the  pilot,  a  third  and  still  superior  steamer 
was  placed  upon  the  route,  replete  with  every  improvement 
of  proportions,  strength  and  equipments  which  years  of  ex- 
perience in  this  navigation  had  suggested,  and  so  entirely 
assured  was  the  owner  of  her  seaworthiness  that  no  insurance 
was  applied  for,  except  on  a  fraction  of  her  value,  for  the 
particular  benefit  of  a  private  creditor.  This  vessel  was  the 
ill-fated  "Home." 

"The  'Home'  had,  of  course,  been  condemned  in  advance 
by  certain  nautical  prophets,  as  has  been  common  in  all  early 
attempts  at  ocean  steam  navigation,  and  on  the  completion 
of  her  first  voyage  was  greatly  traduced,  through  the  ignorant 
misapprehensions  of  passengers  and  others,  many  of  whom 
had  mistaken  the  arched  form  which  had  been  given  to  her 
deck  for  its  greater  strength,  and  which  was  most  strikingly 
visible  at  two  points,  forward  and  aft  of  the  centre,  which, 
viewed  in  connection  with  the  usual  depression  of  the  wheel 
guards  at  midships,  was  taken  as  a  conclusive  evidence  of 
that  injurious  strain  which  is  designated  by  the  term  hogged. 
Another  effective  scarecrow  had  also  been  found  in  a  single 
set  of  bearing  braces  above  the  gunwale,  on  each  side,  which 


440  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

were  intended  to  distribute  more  extensively  a  part  of  the 
weight  of  the  engine  and  boilers.  These  braces,  however, 
being  placed  at  a  very  low  angle,  broke  loose  from  their  shoe 
or  socket  on  the  deck  at  their  forward  ends,  by  the  elastic 
movement  of  the  vessel  in  a  heavy  sea,  as  might  reasonably 
have  been  expected,  causing  a  slight  dislocation  in  some  light 
work  above  the  deck  which  had  been  attached  to  these 
braces  and  which  formed  the  enclosure  of  an  upper  state- 
room on  the  guards,  occupied  by  a  passenger.  This  trivial 
accident  on  her  first  voyage  caused  considerable  fright  among 
timid  persons,  and  the  laying  of  a  foot-mat  over  the  end  of 
the  dislocated,  brace,  while  in  Charleston,  was  construed  into 
an  act  of  desperate  treachery  to  the  lives  of  the  traveling 
public. 

"On  arriving  at  New  York  on  her  return  voyage,  the  vessel 
was  strictly  examined  by  her  builder,  and  except  this  harm- 
less matter,  and  the  loosening  of  a  small  piece  of  plank  on 
one  of  the  extraneous  spondings,  everything  was  found  in  per- 
fect condition. 

"The  second  voyage  of  the  "Home"  was  made  without  any 
notable  occurrence;  but  on  leaving  port  on  her  third  and  fatal 
voyage,  she  was  soon  overtaken  by  a  north-east  gale,  and 
meeting  with  an  injury  in  a  feeding  pipe  of  one  of  her  boilers, 
she  bore  up  for  the  Chesapeake.  This  injury  having  been 
temporarily  repaired,  she  then  stood  on  for  Cape  Hatteras; 
but,  owing  to  the  previous  alteration  of  her  course,  made  the 
land  about  sixty  miles  northward  of  the  Cape — the  sea  at 
this  time  being  heavy  and  the  gale  increasing.  Steering  now 
nearly  in  the  trough  of  the  sea  to  weather  the  Cape,  the 
"Home"  passed  over  the  Wimble  Shoals,  on  which  the  sea 
was  then  breaking  with  great  fury,  and  three  of  the  rollers 
broke  on  board,  so  far  only  as  to  dash  inward  one  of  the 
gangway  boards  on  the  outside  of  the  guards,  abaft  the  water 
wheel,  together  with  two  or  three  of  the  sash  windows  of  the 
light-built  saloon  cabin  which  occupied  the  greater  part 
of  the  after  deck;  and  this  small  affair  was  the  only  thing, 
like  the  boarding  by  a  sea,  which  occurred  to  the  "Home'1 
during  the  whole  of  this  trying  occasion,  till  she  was  partially 
water  logged  and  finally,  though  unwisely,  run  into  the 
breakers  of  the  outer  sand-bar  on  the  coast  of  North  Carolina. 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  Ml 

"After  passing  the  Wimble  Shoals,  the  "Home"  had  been 
headed  up  still  more  .to  the  eastward,  in  order  to  weather  the 
Hatteras  Shoals,  and  shortly  before  passing  these  Shoals  was 
discovered  to  have  sprung  a  leak.  Much  search  was  made  for 
the  mysterious  leak,  but  without  success.  It,  of  course, 
happened  that  the  overhead  braces  of  the  "Home"  again 
broke  loose  in  this  gale  at  the  same  point  as  before,  and  to 
this  circumstance,  and  to  the  elasticity  necessarily  and 
properly  manifested  in  a  vessel  of  her  length  in  a  rough  sea 
way,  much  of  the  unreasonable  panic  is  to  be  ascribed  which 
had  early  manifested  itself  among  the  passengers.  As  th^ 
elasticity  shown  by  the  "Home"  was  naturally  associated  in 
the  minds  of  the  passengers  with  the  dislocation  of  the  braces, 
and  was  more  particularly  noticed  by  them  at  this  point,  this 
motion  was  considered  by  many  as  having  caused  the  sub- 
sequent leak  and  disaster  by  straining  the  sides.  I  have  since 
had  the  satisfaction  of  examining  a  portion  of  the  wreck  of 
the  "Home"  on  the  beach,  comprising  one  of  her  sides  and 
the  forward  body,  the  point  where  the  greatest  bending  was 
represented  as  having  been  seen,  and  to  my  surprise  I  was 
unable  to  detect  the  slightest  opening  or  defect  in  the  seams 
or  butts  of  the  outside  planking. 

"Captain  Crane,  who  commanded  the  steamer  "Savannah" 
which  was  lost  in  a  gale  off  Cape  Hatteras  on  November  28th, 
1841,  ascribes  the  loss  of  that  vessel,  conjecturally,  to  the 
dislocation  or  fracture  of  one  of  the  large  discharging  pipes 
which  communicated  from  the  engine  through  her  bottom, 
and  this  opinion  is  probably  correct.  This  appears  to  be  the 
only  probible  solution  of  the  loss  of  the  "Home."  It  is  known 
to  many  that  the  "Home,"  "Savannah,"  and  other  steam  ves- 
sels of  that  period,  were  fitted  most  unfortunately  with  dis- 
charging pipes  of  cast  iron,  an  undoubted  oversight  which 
renders  the  above  conjecture  sufficiently  probable." 

That  the  vessel  was  unsuited  for  coastwise  employment 
is  shown  by  the  evidence  of  the  officers  and  passengers  saved 
from  the  wreck,  who  stated  that  it  was  not  over  twenty  min- 
utes after  the  vessel  struck  the  shore  before  she  went  to  pieces. 
\There  was  also  between  Baltimore,  Md.,  and  Charleston 
the  "  South.  Carolina,"  of  466  tons,  built  in  Baltimore  in  1830 
and  owned  by  the  Atlantic  Steam  Company,  as  well  as  the 


442  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

"Georgia,"  belonging  to  the  same  company,  and  on  the  same 
route,  of  552  tons.  ^There  was  a  line  running  from  Wilming- 
ton, N.  C.,  to  Charleston,  S.  C.,  having  two  boats  of  about  180 
feet  length,  built  in  New  York  and  named  "North  Carolina" 
and  "Gov.  Dudley."  Their  time  from  dock  to  dock  was  usually 
IS  to  20  hours. 

](ln  1837  a  company  in  Savannah  had  built  in  Baltimore 
the  "Pulaski"  for  service  between  Savannah  and  Baltimore, 
stopping  at  Charleston,  of  687  tons,  the  largest  of  the  coast- 
wise vessels  at  that  time.  This  vessel,  when  on  her  third  trip 
from  Savannah,  on  June  14th,  1838,  and  when  about  12  hours 
out  of  Charleston,  met  with  a  frightful  accident  from  the 
explosion  of  one  of  her  boilers,  from  want  of  skill  by  the 
engineer  on  duty,  the  vessel  becoming  a  complete  wreck, 
breaking  in  two  pieces  about  an  hour  after  the  explosion  and 
sinking  with  the  loss  of  about  110  persons. 

There  was  also  running  from  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  to  Char- 
leston the  "Charleston,"  of  570(tons,  built  in  1836  at  Phila- 
delphia. This  vessel  had  a  pair  of  beam  engines  built  by  Levi 
Morris  &  Co.,  of  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

After  the  accidents  to  the  "Home"  and  the  "Pulaski"  the 
public  confidence  in  this  class  of  vessels  for  sea  service  seems 
to  have  been  shaken,  so  much  so  that  on  most  of  the  routes 
they  no  longer  proved  paying  investments,  and  it  was  not  until 
the  "Southerner''  was  built  for  the  Charleston  route  from  New 
York,  in  1846^that  the  coasting  trade  by  steam  vessels  revived, 
and  at  this  time  by  steamships,  which  were  more  suitable  for 
the  severe  weather  they  were  likely  to  encounter.  The  busi- 
ness had  become  so  unprofitable  that  in  July,  1838,  the  "Nep- 
tune" was  sold  at  auction  in  Charleston,  S.  C. 

There  was  a  steamer  constructed  at  Baltimore,  Md.,  in 
1837,  named  "Natchez,"  by  Rogers,  Brown  &  Cully,  that  was 
probably  more  fitted  for  coastwise  service  than  any  other  at 
that  period.  She  was  intended  for  New  York  to  Natchez, 
Miss.,  trade,  stopping  at  New  Orleans,  but  was  found  to  draw 
too  much  water  for  the  Mississippi  River.  The  vessel  was 
200'x29'xl6',  with  a  beam  engine  56"xlO  feet  stroke,  built  by 
Charles  Reeder  &  Sons.  She  was  very  heavily  constructed  and 
proved  a  good  sea  boat.  As  the  vessel  was  not  adapted  for  the 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  443 

trade  intended,  she  was,  shortly  after,  sold  to  one  of  the  South 
American  governments. 

The  opening  of  the  pioneer  coastwise  line  to  Charleston, 
in  1832,  was  induced  by  the  prospective  development  of  steam 
railroads  in  the  Southern  States.  Prior  to  the  year  1830  there 
was  not  a  steam  railroad  below  the  Potomac  River,  and  but 
few  miles  in  operation  north  of  that  river.  The  only  means 
of  communication  between  the  extremes  along  the  Atlantic 
coast  was  by  stage  coach,  excepting  for  an  occasional  line  of 
steamers  between  some  of  the  coast  cities.  For  instance,  from 
New  Orleans,  La.,  to  New  York,  the  largest  travel  was  by  the 
way  from  the  former  city  to  Mobile  by  steamboat,  thence  by 
stage  to  Augusta,  Georgia,  where  steamboat  was  taken  to 
Savannah  or  Charleston,  and  thence  by  land  to  Norfolk,  Va., 
and  here  the  Baltimore  boat  was  taken.  From  Baltimore 
another  stage  journey  to  Philadelphia,  or  Wilmington,  Del.,  to 
Philadelphia  by  steamboat,  and  to  Trenton,  N.  J.,  by  steam- 
boat. Here  the  stage  was  again  resorted  to,  and  the  journey 
continued  in  that  conveyance  to  New  York,  or  going  to  Amboy 
or  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  and  there  taking  the  steamboat  for 
New  York.  There  was  one  other  route  to  be  taken,  by  steam- 
boat on  the  Mississippi  and  the  Ohio  rivers  to  Pittsburg,  and 
thence  by  stages.  The  first  of  the  southern  railroads  to  be 
placed  under  construction  was  the  South  Carolina  R.  R.,  from 
Charleston  to  Hamburg,  S.  C.,  opposite  Augusta,  Cla.  Ten 
miles  of  this  railroad  was  opened  in  1830,  and  in  the  latter 
part  of  1832  there  was  52  miles  more  of  the  road  in  operation, 
and  in  1833  there  was  an  additional  75  miles,  making  137  miles 
in  operation  a  few  months  after  the  steam  packets  began 
operations  to  Charleston.  The  railroad  did  an  increasing- 
business  from  the  time  of  its  opening,  and  brought  to  the  steam 
packet  line  a  great  deal  of  through  passenger  business,  that 
patronized  that  means  of  public  conveyance  on  account  of  the 
saving  in  time,  as  well  as  for  the  comfort  obtained  when  com- 
pared with  the  cramped  stage  coach. 

NEW  YORK  TO  CHARLESTON,  S.  C. 

Previous  to  the  introduction  of  the  steamship  into  oui 
coastwise  trade,  the  communications  between  the  various  ports 
by  water  were  made  by  what  wrere  termed  packets — sailing 


444  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

vessels  of  from  150  to  400  tons  each,  rigged  as  schooners,  brigs, 
or  barks,  and  fitted  with  accommodations  for  passengers,  be- 
sides the  carrying  of  freight.  Between  the  more  prominent 
ports  on  the  coast,  these  packets  were  run  in  lines  by  estab- 
lished companies,  who  had  regular  days  appointed  for  the  sail- 
ing of  their  vessels. 


about  1840  the  question  of  a  more  rapid  and  certain 
intercourse  between  the  coast  cities  began  to  be  agitated,  as 
the  slow  and  uncertain  packets  were  often  detained  on  their 
voyages  by  calms  and  fogs,  thus  delaying  the  passengers  eri 
route,  and  often  putting  merchants  in  despair  by  the  non- 
arrival  of  merchandise  that  was  much  wanted  for  consumptionV 
Probably  what  gave  a  stimulus  to  the  matter  was  the  contract 
made  by  the  Post  Office  Department  of  the  government  for  the 
transportation  of  the  mails  to  foreign  countries,  March  3d, 
1845,  as  it  was  under  this  act  and  that  of  March  3d,  1847,  that 
the  mail  was  carried  to  foreign  countries  and  the  Southern 
States  by  steam  vessels. 

Spofford  &  Tileston,  of  New  York,  were  shipping  mer- 
chants of  that  city  having  a  large  trade  with  Charleston,  S.  C., 
and  Havana,  Cuba,  that  was  served  through  a  line  of  packets 
they  had  run  for  many  years.  About  1844  the  subject  of  a 
steamship  to  run  between  New  York  and  Charleston  was  dis- 
cussed between  the  firm  and  a  few  Charleston  capitalists,  with 
the  result  that  in  1845  it  was  determined  to  build  a  vessel  of 
about  800  tons.  A.  contract  was  entered  into  with  William  H. 
Brown,  of  New  York,  to  build  the  hull,  and  the  Novelty  Iron 
Works,  of  the  same  city,  to  construct  the  machinery.  The  hull 
was  191  feet  long,  30  feet  8  inches  beam  by  14  feet  deep,  with  ,i 
"side-lever"  engine,  67-inch  cylinder  by  8  feet  stroke,  operated 
under  a  steam  pressure  of  15  pounds  to  the  square  inch.  This 
was  the  same  type  of  engine  as  used  in  the  Collins  steamships 
a  few  years  later.  This  vessel  had  a  wide  square  stern  and  a 
very  full  bow,  with  other  features  that,  taken  as  a  whole,  would 
not  pronounce  her  a  nautical  beauty.  One  authority  said  her 
stern  was  like  the  side  of  a  house.  There  were  many  changes 
in  the  next  few  years  in  the  form  of  our  ocean  steam  vessels. 
The  opening  of  the  many  lines  on  the  Atlantic  Ocean  and  the 
Pacific  Ocean  called  for  the  construction  of  manv  vessels  for 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  445 

the  several  lines,  and  almost  every  vessel  built  was  a  great 
improvement  upon  those  preceding  it. 

This  pioneer  vessel  of  our  coastwise  trade  was  name'd  the 
"Southerner,"  and  sailed  from  New  York  on  her  first  trip  to 
Charleston,  S.  C.,  on  September  13th,  1846,  arriving  there  after 
a  period  of  59  hours.  Her  date  of  sailing  was  about  every  14 
days  from  New  York  until  the  "Northerner"  was  finished  as  a 
consort,  her  initial  trip  being  made  September  29th,  1847.  The 
latter  vessel  was  somewhat  larger  and  had  more  power  than 
the  "Southerner."  Such  were  our  two  first  coastwise  steam- 
ships. 

The  line  had  the  benefit  of  a  contract  in  carrying  the  mail, 
through  M.  C.  Mordecai,  a  merchant  of  Charleston,  S.  C.,  who 
received  for  ten  years,  for  carrying  the  mail  to  Charleston, 
Savannah,  Key  West,  an4  Havana,  $50,000  per  year  for  seven 
years,  and  $60,000  per  year  for  three  years,  the  contract  ending 
in  1860.  The  same  parties  also  run  the  "Isabel,"  that  was  of 
about  the  same  size  as  the  "Southerner,"  between  Charleston, 
Key  West,  and  Havana,  for  several  years.  This  vessel  was  a 
blockade  runner  during  the  Civil  War,  and  known  as  the  "Ella 
Warley."  The  "Northerner"  was  sold  for  service  on  the  Pacific 
coast  in  1851,  and  was  wrecked  when  on  a  voyage  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, on  January  5th,  1860.  The  company  subsequently  built 
the  "Marion,"  of  about  the  same  dimensions  as  their  second 
steam  vessel,  and  the  "James  Adger,"  in  1852,  that  was  of 
increased  dimensions  and  more  power. 

One  of  the  finest  vessels  they  had  on  the  line  was  the 
"Nashville,"  built  in  1853,  The  hull  was  constructed  by 
William  Colyer,  of  New  York,  and  her  machinery  by  the  Nov- 
elty Iron  Works.  This  vessel  had  more  power  than  her  prede- 
cessors, and  was  about  the  best  in  the  coastwise  lines  at  the 
time.  She  was  detained  at  Charleston  just  previous  to  the 
secession  of  the  State  of  South  Carolina,  and  during  the  War 
of  the  Rebellion  was  one  of  the  two  domestic,  steamers  that 
became  privateers  of  the  Confederate  Navy;  the  other  was  the 
"Sumter"x"Habana",  built  in  1859  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  a 
propeller  in  the  merchant  service  between  New  Orleans,  La., 
and  Cuba,  prior  to  her  naval  career.  The  ironclad  monitor 
"Montauk,"  that  was  one  of  the  blockading  squadron  off  the 
mouth  of  the  Ogeechee  River,  in  Georgia,  finding  the  "Nash- 


446  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

ville"  was  ashore  in  the  river  above  Fort  McAllister,  went  up 
the  river  as  far  as  the  obstructions  opposite  the  fort,  and 
shelle'd  the  "Nashville/7  on  February  27th,  1863,  and  in  less 
than  an  hour  she  was  a  mass  of  smoking  ruins.  In  1857  the 
company  added  to  their  line  the  "Columbia,"  built  at  New  York, 
a  duplicate  almost  of  the  "Quaker  City." 

In  1854  a  fine  new  steamship  was  completed,  that  in  after 
years  gained  a  wide  reputation,  named  the  "Quaker  City."* 
This  vessel  was  built  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  by  Vaughan  &  Lynn, 
having  a  "side-lever"  engine,  85"x8';  the  hull  of  the  vessel  was 
227'x36'x21',  and  the  machinery  was  constructed  by  Merrick  & 
Sons.  This  vessel  was  in  service  between  Philadelphia  and 
Charleston,  S.  C.  The  same  year  the  "State  of  Georgia"  and 
the  "Keystone  State"  were  also  on  the  same  route,  where  they 
continued  for  three  or  more  years. 

In  1859  the  New  York  and  Charleston  line  was  composed 
of  the  following  steamships,  viz.:  "Columbia,"  "Nashville," 
"James  Adger,"  "Marion." 

When  the  Civil  War  commenced,  in  April,  1861,  all  the 
vessels  of  this  company,  except  the  "Nashville,"  were  under 
the  control  of  their  New  York  representatives. 

The  "James  Adger"  was  purchased  by  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment for  the  blockading  service,  for  $85,000,  and  sold  by  the 
Department  in  1866  for  $32,000. 

There  were  no  merchant  steamships  in  the  peaceful  pur- 
suit of  commerce  to  the  port  of  Charleston,  S.  C.,  from  the  firing 
on  Fort  Sumter,  until  May,  1865,  when  Arthur  Leary  had  two 
propellers  running  from  New  York,  and  the  next  two  years  the 
"Quaker  City"  and  the  "Saragossa."  In  1867  the  New  York 
and  Charleston  S.  S.  Co.,  which  was  composed  of  New  York 
and  New  Orleans  capitalists,  started  a  line  of  side- wheel  steam- 
ships, and  among  the  vessels  run  up  to  1872  were  the  "Manhat- 
tan," the  "Champion,"  and  the  "Charleston."  The  "Manhat- 
tan" was  then  a  new  vessel  built  in  1866,  the  "Champion"  was 
the  iron-hull  double-beam-engine  steamship  built  for  Com. 
Vanderbilt  in  1859,  by  Harlan  &  Hollingsworth  Co.;  and  the 
"Charleston"  was  the  "James  P.  King,"  built  for  Spofford  & 

*Her  voyage  to  the  Mediterranean  Sea  with  the  "Innocents 
Abroad"  was  made  in  June.  1867. 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  447 

Tileston,  in  1860,  was  burned,  then  rebuilt  as  the  "Eagle,"  and 
sold  to  the  Navy  Department,  who  changed  her  name  as  one  of 
the  blockading  squadron  to  the  "Rhode  Island."  The  "Moni- 
tor" foundered  at  sea  while  in  tow  of  the  "Rhode  Island,"  on 
December  31st,  1862,  just  south  of  Cape  Hatteras.  In  1872 
Wm.  P.  Clyde  entered  the  New  York  and  Charleston  trade 
with  the  "South  Carolina"  and  the  "Georgia,"  in  combination 
with  the  other  line.  South  Carolina  R.  R.  Co.  is  believed  to 
have  had  an  interest  in  both  of  these  lines  of  steamships  at 
this  time.  The  "South  Carolina"  was  originally  built  for  the 
Navy  Department,  at  Boston,  Mass.,  but  not  completed  until 
after  the  Civil  War;  was  an  iron-hull  double-ender.  The 
"Georgia"  was  one  of  the  same  type,  built  at  Chester,  Pa.,  and 
was  formerly  "Shamokin."  The  "South  Carolina"  afterwards 
had  side  wheels  and  engines  removed,  and  was  fitted  with  a 
propeller  engine.  This  line  was  known  as  the  New  York  and 
South  Carolina  S.  S.  Co. 

The  New  York  and  Charleston  S.  S.  Co.  subsequently 
built  two  propellers,  the  "City  of  Atlanta"  and  the  "City  of 
Columbia,"  the  latter  being  the  ill-fated  vessel  that  started 
from  New  York  during  the  late  Klondike  gold  excitement,  with 
a  large  passenger  list  for  Seattle,  Wash.,  but  never  reached 
there  on  account  of  her  unseaworthy  condition,  before  she  was 
half  way  to  her  destination.  The  side-wheel  steam  vessels 
having  been  disposed  of,  the  propellers  of  this  company,  with 
the  steamers  of  the  Clyde  line,  served  the  interests  of  the  route 
until  about  1885,  when  the  New  York  and  Charleston  S.  S.  Co. 
closed  up  their  business  and  sold  their  remaining  vessels.  This 
left  the  Clyde  line  in  possession  of  the  business  by  water  be- 
tween the  two  ports,  and  in  1886  they  began  the  construction 
of  a  fleet  for  that  service,  the  first  of  which  was  the  "Seminole," 
followed  by  the  "Cherokee"  the  same  year,  the  "Iroquois"  in 
1888,  the  "Algonquin"  in  1890,  the  "Comanche"  in  1895.  All 
these  vessels  have  triple-expansion  engines  and  were  among 
the  first  with  that  type  of  engine  in  our  coastwise  service,  with 
the  exception  of  the  "Comanche,"  that  has  quadruple-expansion 
engines.  The  "Iroquois"  and  the  "Comanche"  were  each 
lengthened  50  feet  in  1901;  and  during  the  same  year  their 
fleet  was  increased  by  the  addition  of  the  new  steel  vessels,  the 
"Apache"  and  the  "Arapahoe."  The  "Comanche"  has  thus  far 


448  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

made  the  best  time  between  the  ports.    In  1902  the  "Apache"' 
and  the  "Arapahoe"  were  each  lengthened  about  40  feet. 

A  short  history  of  the  development  of  the  triple-expansion 
engine  for  marine  use  in  this  country  is  contained  in  the 
following  items.  The  pioneer  vessel  in  this  country  having 
the  triple-expansion  engine  was  the  steam  whaler  "Balaena," 
whose  machinery  was  built  by  the  Risdon  Iron  Works  at  San 
Francisco,  Cal.,  and  the  vessel  sailed  on  her  first  voyage 
April  28th,  1883.  The  cylinders  were  12"  and  20"  and  32"  by 
!24  inches  stroke.  In  1884  the  Goss  Marine  Iron  Works  of 
Bath,  Me.,  put  a  triple-expansion  engine  in  the  experimental 
vessel  "Meteor,"  the  original  engine  having  been  removed,  the 
cylinders  being  15"  and  23%"  and  37%"  by  26  inches  stroke. 
The  trial  trip  with  the  new  engine  was  made  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  year.  In  July,  1885,  the  Cramp  S.  &  E.  B.  Co. 
completed  the  next  vessel  with  the  same  type  of  engine,  thai 
at  this  time  was  known  as  the  shop  number  "246."  Her  first 
service  a  few  days  after  completion  was  in  the  regatta  on 
Long  Island  Sound  of  steam  yachts.  Her  cylinders  were  17 
inches  and  24  inches  and  40  inches  by  20  inches  stroke.  Some 
months  later  the  vessel  was  sold  and  named  "Peerless."  Then 
came  the  "Mascotte,"  the  "Sappho,"  "Seminole,"  the  "Cher- 
okee," and  the  "Olivette,"  all  built  by  the  Cramp  S.  &  E.  B.  Co., 
with  the  exception  of  the  "Sappho,"  that  was  built  by  the  New 
England  Shipbuilding  Co.  within  18  months  after  the  "Peer- 
less." 

SAVANNAH,  GA. 

Communication  wdth  Savannah,  Ga.,  before  the  service 
by  steamships  to  coastwise  cities  was  by  the  sailing  packets, 
but  in  the  fall  of  1848  the  New  York  and  Savannah  S.  S.  Co. 
—Mitchell's  line — began  running  the  "Cherokee"  from  New 
York.  The  "Cherokee's"  first  trip  was  made  September  13th, 
and  the  "Tennessee's,"  her  consort,  early  in  the  spring  of  the 
next  year.  They  were  about  1,500  tons  each,  built  by  Win. 
H.  Webb,  and  their  machinery  was  constructed  by  the  Novelty 
Iron  Works.  These  vessels  were  run  but  a  year  or  two  when 
they  were  sold  and  put  in  service  on  the  California  route,  the 
"Tennessee"  going  to  the  Pacific  coast. 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  449 

In  an  advertisement  of  the  Savannah  line,  in  1848,  there 
is  found  this  recommendation  for  the  line: — "The  ships  of 
this  line  carry  a  clear  white  light  at  masthead,  green  on 
starboard  side,  and  red  on  larboard."  This  was  previous  to 
the  present  steamboat  law  in  its  original  form.  The  law  in 
force  in  1848  merely  required  "to  carry  of  one  or  more  signal 
lights  that  may  be  seen  by  other  boats  navigating  the  same 
waters."  The  rules  and  regulations  of  the  supervising  in- 
spectors under  the  law  of  1852  required  these  colored  lights, 
but  it  was  not  incorporated  into  the  law  until  later.  There 
was  a  custom  on  the  Northern  lakes  for  the  steam  vessels  to 
carry  their  colored  running  lights  in  a  manner  like  those  on 
the  Savannah  steamers  prior  to  the  establishment  of  that 
line. 

The  "Isabel,"  from  Charleston,  S.  C.,  was  the  only  coast- 
wise steamship  for  a  time  calling  at  Savannah  until  the 
Mitchell  line  was  again  in  operation  in  1850,  when  the  "Flo- 
rida" was  completed  and  made  her  first  trip  on  September 
24th  of  that  year,  the  "Alabama"  in  January  of  1851,  and  in 
1852  the  "Augusta"  was  added.  Passenger  fare,  $25.00. 

Previous  to  the  steam  lines  there  were  six  packet  lines 
to  Savannah.  The  "Old  Established"  line,  leaving  every 
Thursday  from  opposite  ends  of  the  route;  the  "Brig"  line, 
leaving  on  Monday;  and  the  "New"  line,  leaving  every  Tues- 
day to  New  York.  There  was  also  a  line  to  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
and  one  to  Boston,  Mass.  Thirty-eight  ships,  barks  and  brigs 
arrived  at  Savannah  during  the  month  of  the  opening  of  the 
steamship  line. 

The  steamships  of  the  Mitchell  line  were  well  built  and 
of  fairly  good  speed  for  that  day,  but  the  best  of  the  fleet 
was  the  "Knoxville"  that  was  built  also  by  Wm.  H.  Webb  in 
1858.  This  vessel  had  a  little  more  power  of  her  engine  than 
the  other  vessels  of  the  line  and  was  considered  to  be  the 
second-fastest  steam  vessel  on  the  coast  at  that  time.  When 
but  three  years  old  she  was  burned  to  the  water  edge  while 
lying  at  her  dock  at  New  York  on  December  22d,  1856,  becom- 
ing a  total  loss.  In  1857  the  "Star  of  the  South,"  a  propeller, 
was  added  to  the  line. 

In  1858  the  Cromwell  line  was  opened  to  Savannah  with 
the  "Montgomery,"  and  the  next  year  the  "Huntsville"  was 


450  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

added,  being  among  the  first  screw  steamships  of  any  size  in 
the  coastwise  service.  This  company  was  known  as  the 
American  Atlantic  Screw  S.  S.  Co.  of  Georgia  and  was  con- 
trolled by  R.  R.  Cuyler,  and  Brigham  Baldwin  &  Co.,  of  Savan- 
nah, Ga.,  and  H.  B.  Cromwell  &  Co.,  of  New  York.  The  new  line 
woke  up  the  old  company  to  increased  activity  and  hustle  for 
business,  and  lively  time  resulted.  In  June,  1859,  the  vessels 
of  the  Mitchell  line  were  sold  to  R.  R.  Cuyler,  president  of 
the  Georgia  Central  R.  R.  Co.,  and  continued  to  run  to  Sa- 
vannah. 

In  June,  1800,  the  "R.  R.  Cuyler,"  another  screw  steam- 
ship, was  added  to  the  Cromwell  line.  The  hull  was  built  by 
Samuel  Sneeden  at  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and  was  235'x32'xl6'6, 
and  fitted  with  an  engine,  built  at  the  Allaire  Works,  of  70 
inches  diameter  of  cylinder  by  48  inches  stroke.  This  vessel 
was  a  great  improvement  on  the  other  propellers,  both  in 
model  and  speed,  and  was  spoken  of  as  Cromwell's  yacht. 
Passenger  fare  had  now  fallen  to  f  15.00. 

The  Navy  Department,  in  1861,  took  the  following  of  these 
Savannah  steamships  for  blockading  service,  viz. : 

"Alabama,"  cost  $93,388,  sold  when  war  was  over  for  $28,000 

"Augusta,"       "     96,940     "  "      "       

"R.  R.  Cuyler," "    165,000     "  "       «      81,000 

"Montgomery,"       90,000     "  "       "       39,500 

"Huntsville,"    "     90,000     "  "      «       33,000 

The  port  was  not  open  to  commercial  intercourse  until 
May  1865,  when  the  "Catharine  Whiting,"  the  "Chase"  and 
"America"  were  sent  to  open  the  trade  to  that  port.  As  the 
Civil  War  had  now  practically  ceased,  and  as  many  steam 
vessels  had  been  constructed  during  the  period  of  the  war 
to  enter  the  transport  service  of  the  government,  and  these 
vessels,  being  free  from  the  government  contracts,  were  seek- 
ing employment  on  the  routes  that  were  being  opened  again 
to  commerce,  and  to  this  number  might  be  added  several 
steamships  the  government  had  purchased  during  the  war, 
having  no  further  use  for  them,  they  were  sold  in  a  very 
short  time  after  peace  was  declared.  This  made  a  large  num- 
ber in  the  aggregate,  and  all  seeking  for  employment.  In  the 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  451 

end  the  best  equipped  steamships,  with  good  financial  backing, 
secured  the  most  desirable  business.  It  was  at  this  time  that 
the  Atlantic  Coast  Mail  S.  S.  Co.  was  formed,  having  a  total 
of  about  ten  steam  vessels,  and  including  among  their  mem- 
bers Livingston  Fox  &  Co.,  N.  L.  McCready,  and  others.  Some 
of  the  vessels  owned  by  them  were,  the  "Hatteras,"  the  "Al- 
bemarle,"  "Raleigh,"  "Rapidan,"  "Gen'l  J.  K.  Barnes,"  "Her- 
man Livingston,"  "Flambeau,"  "Ariadne,"  "Varuna,"  "Mon- 
eka"  and  "Euterpe."  They  had  two  steamers  running  to 
Savannah,  the  "Varuna"  and  the  "Ariadne,"  small  wooden 
propellers  of  about  800  tons  each.  Things  run  along  until 
1806,  Wakeman  &  Co.  having  entered  the  trade  with  a  line 
of  propellers  that  did  not  last  more  than  a  year  or  two,  when 
Garrison  &  Allen  placed  the  two  iron-hull  sidewheelers  "San 
Jacinto"  and  the  "San  Salvador"  on  the  route,  while  Livings- 
ton Fox  &  Co.  had  the  "Herman  Livingston"  and  the  "Gen'l 
J.  K.  Barnes,"  and  a  new  factor  had  entered  the  field,  Murray 
Ferris  &  Co.,  with  the  "Leo"  and  the  "Virgo,"  two  wooden 
propellers  of  about  1,200  tons.  In  September,  1867,  the  Black 
Star  line,  that  had  been  running  to  New  Orleans  with  the 
"Huntsville"  and  the  "Montgomery,"  began  operations  to 
Savannah  as  an  independent  line,  and  then  a  war  of  rates 
began  that  lasted  for  a  few  years. 

The  old  lines  entered  into  a  combination  and  through 
a  traffic  agreement  they  had  made  with  the  Georgia  Central 
R.  R.  Company,  they  were  enabled  to  control  all  the  through 
freight  coming  over  this  railroad,  it  being  the  principal  road 
in  the  State  of  Georgia.  It  should  be  said,  at  this  time  the 
railroads  of  the  Southern  States,  after  the  war  ceased,  were 
in  a  low  condition  financially,  and  in  this  instance  were  con- 
trolled in  many  ways  in  their  relations  with  the  steamship 
interests  by  the  latter.  But  as  a  few  years  passed,  the  rail- 
road company  extended  their  line,  business  increased  and 
they  were  getting  into  a  better  shape  materially  and  finan- 
cially, and  by  degrees  the  percentage  of  freight  charges 
allowed  to  the  steamship  combination  was  cut  down  until  it 
no  longer  remained  a  paying  business  for  the  lines,  and 
Livingston  Fox  &  Co.  sold  out  their  interest  about  1872, 
followed  later  by  the  other  lines — Black  Star  line  having 
meanwhile  been  taken  in — to  W.  R.  Garrison,  who,  about  1876, 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LTttES. 

transferred  the  remaining  vessels  to  the  Georgia  Central  R.  H. 
Co.  They  run  the  "H.  Livingston,"  the  "Gen'l  Barnes," "the 
"San  Salvador,"  the  "Leo,"  and  one  or  two  others,  until  the 
first  of  their  iron-hull  steamships,  the  "City  of  Savannah"  and 
the  "City  of  Macon,"  were  built  in  1877  by  the  Delaware  River 
I.  S.  B.  &  E.  Works,  followed  by  the  "Gate  City"  and  the 
"City  of  Columbus"  the  next  year,  and  in  1880  the  "City  of 
Augusta"  that  was  larger  than  any  of  its  predecessors.  The 
company  sold  the  "Gate  City"  and  the  "City  of  Columbus"  to 
a  Boston  company  for  the  Boston  and  Savannah  trade  in  1882, 
they  having  had  completed  for  their  New  York  business  the 
"Tallahassee,"  the  "Chattahoochie"  and  the  "Nacoochie."  In 
1888  the  "City  of  Birmingham"  was  added,  and  in  1889  the 
"Kansas  City,"  the  largest  of  the  fleet  to  that  time  and  the 
one  that  has  made  the  best  time  on  the  route.  In  the  last 
two  years  the  company  have  added  two  equally  as  large 
vessels,  having  limited  passenger  accommodations  compared 
with  the  others,  but  large  freight  carriers. 

NEW  ORLEANS. 

The  opening  of  steamship  lines  to  New  Orleans  was 
brought  about  by  the  granting  of  a  mail  contract  to  A.  G. 
Sloo  on  April  20th,  1847,  by  the  Navy  Department,  to  con- 
struct vessels  to  carry  the  U.  S.  Mail  from  New  York  to  New- 
Orleans,  touching  at  Charleston,  Savannah  and  Havana,  and 
from  Havana  to  Chagres,  for  the  sum  of  f 290,000  per  annum. 
Stopping  at  Charleston  and  Savannah  was  discontinued  after 
about  two  years.  This  contract  was  shortly  after  assigned 
to  George  Law  and  associates,  among  the  latter  being  Mar- 
shall O.  Roberts  and  B.  B.  Mcllvain.  The  party  to  whom  this 
contract  was  granted  had  a  stage  route  and  mail  line  in  Ten- 
nessee, although  a  resident  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  when 
granted  was  considered  of  little  or  no  value.  It  was  only  the 
development  of  the  gold  fields  of  California  a  few  years  later 
that  gave  it  a  value. 

Marshall  O.  Roberts  was  interested  at  this  time  as  a  part 
owner  with  J.  M.  Forbes,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  in  the  iron-hull 
side  propeller  steamboat  "Iron  Witch"  on  the  Hudson 
river,  and  when  the  engines  were  taken  out  of  this  steamboat 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  453 

they  were  placed  in  the  hull  of  the  first  steamship,  the 
"Falcon,"  that  performed  the  service  under  this  contract, 
making  her  first  trip  in  September,  1848.  George  Law  had 
purchased  her  from  M.  O.  Roberts  and  others. 

This  contract  contained  some  provisions  that  have  been 
retained  in  the  requirements  of  the  government  with  our  mail 
steamship  companies,  and  as  it  was  the  first  contract  of  this 
nature  it  may  have  its  importance  as  the  pioneer.  *  *  * 
"The  said  steamship  to  be  of  not  less  than  fifteen  hundred 
tons  burden,  and  propelled  by  engines  of  not  less  than  one 
thousand  horsepower  each,  to  be  constructed  under  the  super- 
intendence and  direction  of  a  Naval  Constructor  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Navy  Department,  and  to  be  so  constructed  as 
to  render  them  convertible  at  the  least  possible  expense  into 
war  steamers  of  the  first  class.  *  *  *  The  said  boilers  and 
machinery  to  be  of  the  best  quality  and  to  be  so  placed  below 
the  water  line  as  to  be  as  far  as  practicable  beyond  the  reach 
of  cannon  shot.  *  *  *  That  each  and  all  of  said  steamships 
shall  be  commanded  by  an  officer  of  the  Navy  of  the  United 
States,  not  below  the  grade  of  lieutenant,  to  be  selected  by  said 
contractor,  A.  Gr.  Sloo,  with  the  approval  and  consent  of  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  and  to  be  accommodated  on  board 
thereof  in  a  manner  becoming  his  rank  and  station,  without 
charge  to  the  government  of  the  United  States."  Also  four 
midshipmen  of  the  United  States  Navy  to  serve  as  watch 
officers. 

J.  Howard  &  Son,  of  New  York,  were  early  in  the  Cali- 
fornia trade  with  the  Empire  City  line,  for  in  the  month  of 
October,  1848,  they  opened  the  line  with  the  steamer  "Crescent 
City"  to  the  Isthmus,  and  early  the  next  year  with  the  "Empire 
City."  These  were  vessels  of  about  1,500  tons  each  and  built 
at  New  York.  This  line  run  to  Chagres,  in  opposition  to  the 
United  States  Mail  line,  until  absorbed  by  the  Pacific  Mail 
S.  S.  Co.  in  the  fall  of  1850.  Charles  Morgan  and  Isaac  Newton 
were  interested  in  the  line  at  first. 

The  "United  States,"  built  by  William  H.  Webb  for 
Charles  H.  Marshall  &  Co.  and  originally  intended  for  the 
New  Orleans  trade,  but  run  from  New  York  to  Havre,  made 
one  voyage  to  New  Orleans  in  November,  1848, 


454:  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

The  "Falcon"  was  the  only  vessel  serving  under  the  mail 
contract  in  the  Law  line  until  the  "Ohio,"  in  the  fall  of  1849, 
and  the  "Georgia,"  a  few  months  later,  were  completed,  and 
in  1851  the  "Illinois."  These  three  last-named  vessels  were 
constructed  under  the  immediate  supervision  of  the  head  of 
the  company.  The  "Ohio"  was  built  by  Bishop  &  Simonson 
—the  latter  was  a  nephew  of  Commodore  Vanderbilt— ,  the 
"Georgia"  by  Smith  &  Dimon,  who  also  constructed  the  "Illi- 
nois," their  machinery  being  built  at  the  Allaire  Works.  They 
were  the  largest  and  finest  ocean  steamships  that  had  been 
built  for  the  coastwise  service  to  that  time  and  were  looked 
upon  as  a  credit  to  the  American  shipbuilder.  These  vessels 
carried  the  mail  and  were  commanded  by  officers  of  the  United 
States  Navy,  the  captain  of  the  "Georgia"  at  one  time  being 
Lieutenant  D.  D.  Porter,  afterward  Admiral  of  the  United 
States  Navy. 

At  first  the  service  to  New  Orleans  was  by  no  means 
regular,  as  the  business  offered  to  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  was 
all  the  company  could  care  for  with  the  single  vessel  em- 
ployed, and  it  was  not  until  the  summer  of  1849  when  the  first 
excitement  had  spent  itself  in  travel  to  the  gold  regions  that 
the  New  Orleans  business  received  the  attention  it  deserved. 
Passenger  fare  in  the  cabin  at  this  time  was  |150  to  Chagres, 
passenger  fare  in  steamships  by  way  of  Cape  Magellan  to  San 
Francisco  in  cabin  was  $500. 

A  line  was  run  for  a  time  from  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  to 
Chagres  by  the  Philadelphia  and  Atlantic  Steam  Navigation 
Co.  with  the  steamship  "Philadelphia,"  a  vessel  of  about  1,400 
tons,  built  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  in  1849.  During  1850  the  line 
ceased  operations,  and  the  vessel  passed  into  the  hands  of  the 
Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Co.  Previous  to  this  the  "Cherokee" 
and  the  "Tennessee"  had  been  purchased,  the  former  kept  on 
the  Atlantic  Coast  line  and  the  "Tennessee"  sent  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean  for  the  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Co. 

In  the  fall  of  1850  the  Pacific  Mail  Co.  had  started  an 
opposition  line  on  the  Atlantic  coast  to  Chagres  against  the 
United  States  Mail  line;  this  brought  out  an  opposition  by 
Law  and  Roberts  against  the  Pacific  Mail  Co.  on  the  Pacific 
coast,  which  contest  was  waged  with  a  great  deal  of  dash 
and  spirit  until  April,  1851,  when  the  Pacific  coast  vessels  of 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  455 

the  United  States  Mail  line  were  purchased  by  the  Pacific 
Mail  Co.,  the  "Isthmus,"  the  "Antelope,"  the  "Republic"  and 
the  "Columbus,"  vessels  unfitted  for  such  a  service;  while  the 
Pacific  Mail  Co.  line  on  the  Atlantic  side,  the  "Empire  City," 
the  "Crescent  City,"  "Eldorado,"  "Philadelphia"  and  "Chero- 
kee," were  taken  by  Law  &  Roberts'  United  States  Mail  Co.  It 
would  seem,  in  looking  back  on  the  many  "wars  of  opposition" 
on  the  waters  among  the  merchant  marine  of  the  early  days, 
that  the  participants  must  in  many  cases  have  loved  the  row 
for  the  pure  love  of  fight;  that  executive  ability  appears  to 
have  been  largely  developed  in  some  of  those  interested  at  the 
period  under  review. 

From  1851  to  1853  the  United  States  Mail  Co.  had  control 
of  the  business  on  the  Atlantic  side  with  the  following  vessels, 
viz.:  their  three  fine  mail  steamships  "Ohio,"  "Georgia"  and 
"Illinois",  with  the  "Philadelphia,"  "Cherokee,"  "Empire  City," 
"Crescent  City"  and  "Falcon."  In  1853  they  lost  the  "Chero- 
kee" and  in  1856  the  "Crescent  City." 

In  1854  George  Law  sold  his  interest  in  the  United  States 
Mail  Co.  to  Marshall  O.  Roberts,  who  was  the  controlling 
owner  of  the  line  during  its  remaining  years. 

In  the  same  year  Livingston,  Crocheron  &  Co.,  who  had 
been  running  two  well-built  and  equipped  beam-engine  steam- 
ships, the  "Black  Warrior"  and  the  "Cahawba,"  to  Mobile  via 
Havana  for  a  year  or  two  under  the  name  of  the  New  York 
and  Alabama  S.  S.  Co.,  changed  the  southern  terminus  of 
their  line  from  Mobile  to  New  Orleans.  This  may  be  said  to 
have  been  the  first  exclusive  New  Orleans  line  from  New 
York.  At  the  same  time  Charles  Morgan,  who  had  been  in- 
terested in  the  commerce  between  the  Gulf  ports  for  several 
years,  had  the  "Orizaba,"  "Prometheus"  and  "Daniel  Webster" 
running  to  Vera  Cruz  via  New  Orleans  under  a  mail  contract 
that  lasted  for  five  years.  As  these  vessels  had  been  the 
propert}^  of  Commodore  Yanderbilt  it  would  seem  as  though 
he  may  have  been  an  interested  party  in  some  form.  The 
passing  of  a  controlling  interest  in  a  vessel,  or  a  line  of  ves- 
sels, from  one  person  to  another  often  made  a  great  change  in 
the  service  to  our  coastwise  ports  at  this  period. 

In  1856  Harris  &  Morgan  sold  to  the  Southern  Steamship 
Co.  of  New  Orleans  the  "Charles  Morgan,"  the  "Louisiana," 


456  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

the  "Mexico"  and  the  "Perseverance,  vessels  that  had  been 
running  to  Texan  and  Mexican  ports,  for  $340,000.  This  was 
the  beginning  of  Charles  Morgan's  incorporated  marine  inter- 
ests in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

There  were  many  changes  made  in  the  running  of  the 
different  vessels  at  this  time,  brought  about  by  change  of  in- 
terests in  the  lines  to  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  and  to  Nica- 
ragua. But  during  all  the  changing  scenes  Marshall  O. 
Roberts  ran  the  United  States  Mail  line  to  Chagres  via  New 
Orleans  until  about  1859.  At  the  same  time  Livingston, 
Crocheron  &  Co.  were  running  the  "Black  Warrior"  and  the 
"Cahawba"  until  February  20th,  1859,  when  the  former  went 
ashore  during  a  snow  squall  at  Rockaway  inlet  on  the  Long 
Island  coast.  They  chartered  other  vessels  to  take  her  place 
until  May  20th,  1860,  when  the  "De  Soto"  was  completed,  fol- 
lowed in  the  next  September  by  the  "Bienville,"  two  fine  side- 
wheel  and  beam-engine  steamships,  built  by  Lawrence  and 
Foulks,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and  their  machinery  by  the  Morgan 
Iron  Works,  of  New  York  City.  During  this  year  the  United 
States  Mail  line  had  the  "Moses  Taylor,"  the  "Philadelphia" 
and  the  "Empire  City"  running  to  the  Isthmus,  and  at  a  not 
very  distant  date  went  out  of  business  on  account  of  the 
strong  opposition  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Co.  Then,  up  to  the  time 
of  active  military  and  naval  operations  in  the  Southern  States, 
Livingston,  Crocheron  &  Co.  had  control  of  the  New  York  and 
New  Orleans  trade.  Most  of  the  last  trips  from  New  York  to 
Southern  ports,  previous  to  the  interruption  of  commercial 
relations  between  the  Northern  and  Southern  States,  were 
made  from  the  6th  to  the  10th  of  April,  but  the  "De  Soto" 
sailed  from  New  York  for  New  Orleans  as  late  as  April  23d, 
and  as  she  was  purchased  by  the  United  States  Navy  Depart- 
ment August  21st,  1861,  for  blockading  services  the  vessel 
escaped  capture  in  Southern  waters. 

The  United  States  Mail  line  was  unfortunate  with  their 
steamers,  but  probably  not  more  so  than  those  on  the  Pacific 
coast.  The  former  lost  the  "Crescent  City"  on  a  reef  in  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico  in  1856,  the  "Cherokee"  was  burned  at  her 
wharf  in  New  York  August  26th,  1853,  and  on  September  12th, 
1867.  the  "Central  America"  x  "George  Law"  foundered  at 
sea  in  a  severe  gale  while  on  a  passage  from  Havana  and  the 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  457 

Isthmus  to  New  York,  and  from  the  best  information  it  was 
supposed  about  423  persons  lost  their  lives. 

The  port  of  New  Orleans  was  not  opened  again  to  the 
peaceful  pursuits  of  commerce  until  after  Admiral  Farragut 
had  reduced  the  forts  on  the  lower  Mississippi  river  and  taken 
possession  of  the  city  on  April  25th,  18G2.  The  first  steam- 
ship from  New  York  was  the  "Marion"  on  May  31st,  one  of 
Spofford  and  Tileston's  old  Charleston  vessels,  now  run  by 
them,  and  for  a  short  time  the  "Trade  Wind,"  a  small  pro- 
peller of  500  tons.  A  few  weeks  later  Ludlura  &  Heineken 
placed  the  "Roanoke"  in  the  New  Orleans  trade  via  Havana, 
and  in  the  fall  added  the  "Creole."'  In  July  Marshall  O.  Ro- 
berts placed  the  "Philadelphia"  again  in  the  New  Orleans 
trade,  but  for  a  short  time  only,  as  in  the  fall  the  Nicaragua 
route  was  receiving  his  attention. 

The  Cromwell  line  began  operations  to  this  port  in  Oc- 
tober with  one  of  the  old  Parker  Vein  steamers,  the 
"Potomac,"  and  a  few  weeks  later  another  of  the  same  type, 
the  "Parkersburg,"  was  added.  This  service  continued  until 
the  "George  Cromwell"  was  finished  and  ready  for  service  in 
Jan'y,  186*>,  being  followed  by  her  consort,  the  "George  Wash- 
ington," in  April  following.  The  Parker  Vein  steamships, 
built  in  1853  and  1854,  were  the  "Parker  Vein,"  "Western- 
port,"  "Mount  Savage,"  "Georges  Creek,"  "Thomas  Swann," 
"Potomac,"  "Totten,"  "Locust  Point,"  "Piedmont,".  "Cale- 
donia," "Patapsco,"  "Jackson"  and  "Parkersburg."  In  1863 
Spofford  &  Tileston  had  taken  the  "Columbia"  from  the  New 
York  and  Havana  route  and  with  the  "Marion"  continued  in 
the  New  Orleans  trade.  The  latter  was  lost  on  Double  Head 
Shot  Keys  April  2d,  38(>3.  Ludluin  and  Heineken  had  at  this 
time  the  "Roanoke,"  the  "Yazoo'  and  the  "Creole.''  The  "Ella 
Warley"  x  "Isabel,"  ex-blockade  runner,  was  also  running  to 
New  Orleans  during  a  portion  of  the  year.  She  had  been 
captured  off  the  coast  of  Texas,  trying  to  run  the  blockade 
with  a  cargo  of  arms,  etc.,  April  25th,  1862,  by  the  "Santiago 
de  Cuba,"  and  sent  to  New  York;  was  condemned  and  sold  to 
Providence,  R,  I.,  parties.  This  vessel  was  sunk  by  collision 
with  the  "North  Star"  February  9th,  1863,  off  the  coast  of 
New  Jersey,  just  below  Sandy  Hook,  while  on  a  voyage  to 
New  Orleans. 


458  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

The  Star  line  began  operations  in  April,  1863,  the  first 
vessel  in  service  being  the  "Morning  Star,"  followed  in  June 
by  the  "Evening  Star."  During  the  following  year  the  lines 
increased  the  number  of  their  vessels,  the  Star  line  chartered 
the  "Suwo-Nada,"  a  fine  beam-engine  steamship,  for  a  time, 
until  the  "Guiding  Star"  was  finished,  and  the  Cromwell  line 
with  some  of  the  old  Parker  Vein  fleet,  while  Ludlum  & 
Heineken  had  the  two  propellers  "Emily  B.  Souder"  and  the 
"Yazoo,"  and  for  a  short  time  the  "North  America."  D.  B. 
Allen  had  the  two  Vanderbilt  steamships  running  for  a  por- 
tion of  the  year,  the  "Champion"  and  the  "Ariel."  During 
1865  the  Star  line  and  the  Cromwell  line  had  control  of  the 
New  York  and  New  Orleans  coastwise  trade,  the  former  hav- 
ing added  the  "Mariposa"  and  the  "Monterey,"  two  propellers 
of  about  1,200  tons  each;  and  the  latter  the  "Star  of  the  Union" 
and  the  "Fung  Shuey,"  under  charter,  in  addition  to  their 
regular  steamships.  During  1866  the  Star  line  added  the 
largest  vessel  of  their  fleet,  the  "Rising  Star,"  but  this  vessel 
had  seen  little,  if  any,  service  to  New  Orleans.  The  Black  Star 
line  also  entered  the  trade  with  the  three  former  Cromwell- 
line  propellers,  the  "R.  R.  Cuyler,"  the  "Huntsville"  and  the 
"Montgomery."  The  "R.  R.  Cuyler"  was  sold  in  1867  to  the 
Republic  of  Columbia  in  South  America  and  fitted  as  an  armed 
vessel. 

The  Star  line  met  with  a  very  serious  loss  this  year,  in  the 
loss  of  the  "Evening  Star,"  on  October  3d,  1866,  in  a  cyclone 
when  off  Tybee  Island*.  The  immediate  cause  of  the  loss  of 
this  vessel  was  the  shipping  of  such  an  immense  quantity 
of  water  during  the  hurricane  through  the  breaches  made  in 
her  upper  works  on  the  starboard  side.  The  vessel  was  in  a 
seaworthy  condition  so  far  as  the  state  of  the  hull  was  con- 
cerned, for  during  the  month  of  July  preceding  the  loss  of 
the  steamship  the  vessel  had  been  taken  on  the  dry  dock  for 
repairs,  after  having  been  ashore  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and 
a  general  overhauling  was  given  the  vessel.  The  fleet  of  this 
line,  with  the  exception  of  the  "Rising  Star,"  were  about  2,500 

*  Mr.  E.  S.  Allen,  who  was  for  many  years  the  New  York  agent 
for  the  Cromwell  line  of  steamships,  was  the  purser  on  the  "Evening 
Star"  at  the  time,  and  was  in  charge  of  the  boat's  crew  that  brought 
the  first  news  ashore  of  the  loss  of  the  vessel. 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  459 

tons  each,  270  feet  long,  40  feet  beam  and  25  feet  deep,  built 
by  Roosevelt  and  Joyce  at  New  York,  with  beam  engines  of 
large  power.  The  engine  in  the  "Morning  Star"  came  from 
the  Lake  Erie  steamer  "Crescent  City,"  the  "Evening  Star" 
from  the  "Queen  of  the  West,"  and  the  "Guiding  Star"  from 
the  "Mississippi."  They  were  80  inches  cylinder  'by  12  feet 
stroke,  except  the  "Guiding  Star"  that  was  81  inches  dia- 
meter of  cylinder.  The  "Rising  Star"  was  about  30  feet  longer, 
with  a  new  engine  built  by  the  Etna  Iron  Works,  of  New 
York,  of  100  inches  cylinder  by  12  feet  stroke.  These  vessels 
were  the  most  lavishly  fitted  up  for  passenger  accommoda- 
tions of  any  of  the  coastwise  lines  at  that  date,  and  carried  a 
larger  number  of  passengers  than  any  other  line  then  running 
to  New  Orleans.  The  corporate  name  of  the  line  was  the  New 
York  Mail  Steamship  Co.  Interested  with  James  A.  Raynor, 
the  controlling  director  of  the  company,  was  Wm.  R.  Garrison. 
The  former  disposed  of  his  interest  in  the  company  about  six 
months  before  the  loss  of  the  "Evening  Star."  There  had  been 
added  to  the  line  some  time  previous  the  two  iron-hull  pro- 
pellers "Merrimac"  and  "Mississippi,"*  built  by  Harrison 
Loring,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  in,  1859.  They  were  subsequently  in 
Ihe  Brazil  line. 

During  1867,  in  addition  to  the  Cromwell  line  and  the 
Black  Star  line,  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  Wm.  R.  Garrison 
had  some  of  the  Star  line  vessels,  and  during  the  summer  the 
"Mississippi,"  the  "Monterey''  and  the  "Mariposa"  until  some 
time  in  the  fall  of  that  year,  when  the  New  York  Mail  Steam- 
ship Co.  took  their  vessels  out  .of  the  New  Orleans  trade,  and 
that  closed  out  the  ever  memorable  Star  line. 

The  "Guiding  Star"  and  the  "Morning  Star"  made  a  few 
trips  in  the  North  American  Lloyd's  line  to  Bremen  in  1867, 
and  in  1869  and  1870  were  chartered  for  a  time  with  the 
"Rising  Star"  by  Ruger  Bros,  in  a  line  to  Copenhagen.  The 
"Morning  Star"  was  shortly  after  broken  up  and  her  engine 
at  a  later  date  fitted  up  in  the  New  Haven  steamboat  "C.  H. 

*  In  the  Annual  Report  of  the  Commissioner  of  Navigation  for 
1899,  page  218,  it  is  noted  that  these  vessels  were  of  composite  build. 
This  is  an  error,  from  the  fact  that,  after  they  had  been  in  service  for 
a  time,  there  was  another  deck  added  to  their  height,  and  this,  with  the 
top  sides,  was  constructed  of  wood.  Their  original  construction  was 
all  of  iron. 


460  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

Northern."  The  "Rising  Star"  was  sold  to  the  Pacific  Mail 
Steamship  Co.  in  1807. 

During  1868  the  Cromwell  line  appears  .to  have  been  the 
only  one  of  the  old  lines  left  in  the  New  Orleans  trade.  Liv- 
ingston, Fox  &  Co.  this  year  had  purchased  the  "Bienville" 
and  the  "De  Soto"  after  their  naval  service  and  had  them 
again  in  the  New  Orleans  business.  A  new  line  also  entered 
t.'ie  trade  this  year  under  the  name  of  the  Merchants' 
line.  This  enterprise  was  backed  by  Win.  F.  Weld  £ 
Co.,  of  Boston,  Mass.  The  line  run  with  consider- 
able success  until  the  business  depression  of  1874,  when  the 
interests  were  closed  out.  They  had  a  fleet  of  five  propellers, 
the  "General  Grant;"  the  "Crescent  City"  x  "Massachusetts," 
the  "Sherman,"  x  blockade  runner  "Princess  Royal/'  the 
"General  Meade,"  x  blockade  runner  "Bermuda,"  and  the 
"United  States."  They  were  vessels  of  about  1,200  tons  each. 
Captain  Geo.  L.  Norton,  of  the  "Marine  Journal"  of  New  York 
City,  was  in  command  of  one  or  more  of  these  vessels. 

In  the  next  few  years  the  changes  were  not  many,  with 
the  exceptions  that  the  Cromwell  line  added  the  "New  Or- 
leans," their  first  iron-hull  vessel,  to  the  line  in  1871,  followed 
by  the  "Knickerbocker"  in  1873  and  the  "Hudson"  in  1874, 
all  built  by  Pusey  &  Jones  Co.,  of  Wilmington,  Del.  The 
"George  Cromwrell"  and  the  "George  Washington"  had  been 
placed  on  the  New  York  and  Portland  route.  Livingston,  Fox 
&  Co.  went  out  of  this  business  about  1872. 

The  "New  Orleans,"  the  "Knickerbocker"  and  the  "Hud- 
son" were  fitted  with  engines  from  designs  of  John  Baird, 
constructing  engineer  of  the  line,  and  one  of  original  ideas  in 
his  profession.  At  the  time  of  the  construction  of  these  ves- 
sels their  engines  were  the  subject  of  much  discussion,  more 
especially  the  "Hudson,"  among  marine  engineers,  as  to  their 
economy  when  compared  ;with  the  compound  engine.  The 
"Hudson's"  engine  was  designed  for  a  working  steam  pressure 
of  90  Ibs.  per  square  inch  and  cutting  off  at  6  inches  of  the 
stroke.  This  was  thought  to  be  a  very  high  steam  pressure 
to  be  used  in  a  simple  condensing  engine,  especially  of  that 
size,  and  there  were  many  doubts  entertained  by  engineers 
who  were  held  in  high  esteem  by  the  profession  as  to  these 
engines  being  as  economical  as  the  compound  engine  that  was 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  461 

just  coming  into  use.  But  time  proved  them  economical  and 
profitable  vessels  for  their  owners.  The  compound  engine 
was  the  fashion,  it  might  be  so  called,  of  the  day  in  marine 
matters,  and  to  follow  along  those  lines  was  the  proper  thing 
to  do  as  in  many  other  lines  of  commercial  and  professional 
life.  The  owners  of  new  steam  vessels  generally  desired  the 
compound  engine  for  their  vessels,  and  the  builders  were  ready 
to  construct  them.  The  compound  engine  had  its  day,  fol- 
lowed by  the  triple-expansion  type,  and  the  initial  enthusiasm 
having  subsided  to  a  great  extent,  has  been  followed  by  the 
first  stages  of  the  quadruple  expansion.  Is  the  next  electricity, 
or  turbine,  or  what? 

The  Cromwell  line  added  another  iron-hull  steamship  to 
their  otherwise  fine  fleet  of  vessels  in  the  "Louisiana"  in  1880. 
The  hull  of  this  vessel  was  built  by  John  Roach  &  Son,  but 
was  fitted  with  a  pair  of  compound  beam  engines,  built  by  the 
Delamater  Iron  Works  from  designs  of  John  Baird,  that  were 
certainly  a  novelty  in  design.  These  engines  were  in  use  in 
the  vessel  until  about  1898,  when  they  were  removed  and  the 
inverted  triple-expansion  type  substituted.  For  several  years 
there  was  not  a  steamship  on  our  coast  that  found  it  possible 
to  keep  company  with  the  "Louisiana"  when  on  her  mettle, 
and  the  vessel  held  the  record  to  New  Orleans  for  many  years. 
After  her  second  or  third  voyage  several  tons  of  the  heavy 
iron  enclosures  above  the, main  deck,  and  other  iron  work, 
were  removed  that  increased  the  vessel's  stability.  The  naval 
steamer  "Chicago"  had  the  same  type  of  engines  when  origi- 
nally constructed  in  1885,  but  these  were  removed  when  the 
vessel  was  rebuilt  in  1898.  The  company  has  added  to  the 
line  in  the  last  few  years  two  fine  screw  steamships,  the 
"Comus"  and  the  "Proteus,"  similar  in  almost  every  particular 
to  the  latest  of  the  Morgan  line  steamships.  The  line  ceased 
to  exist  after  August  1st,  1902,  as  a  corporation,  their  float- 
ing property  having  been  purchased  by  the  Morgan  line, 
though  the  latter  has  had  a  controlling  interest  of  the  line 
for  a  few  years.  H.  B.  Cromwell  &  Co.  run  the  Parker  Vein 
line  of  propellers  in  1853  to  Baltimore,  later  the  Savannah  line 
and,  in  1856,  the  New  York  and  Portland  line  with  the 
"Totten"  and  the  "Caledonia." 


462  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

In  1875  Harlan  &  Hollingsworth  Company  built  for 
Charles  Morgan  the  "Brashear"  and  the  "New  York,"  the 
pioneers  of  the  Morgan  line  to  New  York.  These  vessels  were 
a  short  time  after  altered  by  raising  their  top  sides  and  adding 
another  deck,  and  the  former  called  the  "Lone  Star."  The 
next  year  they  constructed  the  "Algiers"  and  the  "Morgan 
City"  that  were  very  similar  to  the  first  two  of  the  fleet.  In 
1878  the  Morgan  Louisiana  and  Texas  B.  B.  &  S.  S.  Co.  was 
incorporated  to  cover  all  the  railroad  and  steamship  interests 
in  the  southwest  that  was  controlled  by  Charles  Morgan. 

Their  first  steamship  with  compound  engines  was  the 
"Chalmette,"  built  by  Wm.  Cramp  &  Sons  Co.  in  1879.  The 
"Excelsior"  followed  in  1882  by  the  Harlan  &  Hollingsworth 
Co.  Since  then  they  have  added  several  fine  vessels  to  their 
fleet,  mostly  with  triple-expansion  engines,  that  cannot  be 
excelled  for  their  form,  nor  their  speed,  for  a  similar  service. 

This  corporation  is  now  part  of  a  syndicate,  consisting  of 
the  South  Pacific  B.  B.  Co.,  with  the  Galveston  and  San  An- 
tonio B.  B.  Co.,  the  Houston  &  Texas  B.  B.  Co.,  Louisiana  & 
Western  B.  B.  Co.,  and  some  other  railroads  that  form  a 
system  for  through  freight  from  New  York  to  the  Pacific 
coast,  under  one  corporate  management,  and  who  largely  con- 
trol all  the  coastwise  freight  between  New  York  and  the 
Southwest  to  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

The  Morgan  line  gave  up  running  to  Brashear  or  Morgan 
City  in  August,  1891,  as  it  was  found  too  expensive  to  keep 
the  channel  open  for  their  large  steamships. 

They  next  gave  up  running  to  New  Orleans,  La.,  of  the 
Morgan  line  steamships  in  part  in  August,  1902,  the  first 
vessel  on  the  New  York  and  Galveston  route  being  the  "El 
Norte,"  leaving  New  York  August  2d.  The  late  Cromwell 
line  steamships  "Comus"  and  "Proteus"  remain  in  the  New- 
Orleans  service. 

NORFOLK,  VA. 

^  After  the  steam-brig  "New  York,"  in  1822,  there  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  any  steam  vessel  in  operation  between 
New  York  and  Norfolk  until  the  "David  Brown,"  that  had 
run  from  New  York  to  Charleston,  S,  C.,  was  placed  on  the 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  463 

Norfolk  route  in  April,  1835,  and  continued  the  service  for 
about  three  months.  It  was  intended  at  this  time,  if  the 
vessel  should  be  successful  in  opening  a  trade  by  steam  vessel 
between  the  ports,  to  extend  the  service  from  Norfolk  to 
Charleston;  and  in  fact  the  "Dolphin"  was  run  for  a  few  trips 
between  the  latter  ports,  which  was  not  encouraging  to  the 
owners.  The  distance  between  the  terminals  was  not  great 
enough  for  the  steam  vessels  at  those  early  days  to  always 
shorten  the  time  of  the  sailing  packets.^ 

In  August,  1844,  Peck,  Clyde  &  Co.  had  a  propeller  of 
100  feet  long,  built  in  Philadelphia,  with  a  Loper  wheel, 
and  run  from  New  York  to  Baltimore  and  Norfolk.  This  was 
the  commencement  of  the  Clyde  line,  they  having  been,  prior 
to  this  date,  in  the  Ericcson  Steamboat  line  of  propellers  be- 
tween Philadelphia  and  Baltimore. 

The  first  of  the  regular  steamship  lines  to  run  from  New 
York  to  Norfolk  and  Kichmond,  Va.,  was  that  operated  by 
the  New  York  and  Virginia  S.  S.  Co.,  who  had  built  for  them 
in  New  York  the  "Koanoke"  and  the  "Jamestown,"  both 
double-beam  engine  steamships  of  1100  tons  each,  the 
"Roanoke"  in  1851,  and  the  "Jamestown"  in  1853.  In  the  year 
1853  there  was  a  line  of  propellers  running  between  the  same 
cities,  the  "City  of  Norfolk,"  the  "City  of  Richmond,"  and  a  few 
years  later,  the  "Virginia" ;  they  were  of  about  500  or  600  tons 
each.  In  1858,  William  H.  Webb  built  for  the  New  York  and 
Virginia  S.  S.  Co.  their  third  steamship,  the  "Yorktown,"  a 
much  larger  vessel  and  with  more  power,  that  completed  their 
fleet  prior  to  the  opening  of  the  Civil  War.  All  of  these  vessels 
were  destroyed  during  the  war.  The  "Jamestown"  and  the 
"Yorktown"  were  taken  possession  of  by  the  Confederate 
States  Government  at  the  outbreak  of  hostilities  and  fitted 
with  10  guns  each  as  gunboats,  but  their  field  of  operations 
was  limited  to  the  James  River.  The  "Jamestown"  was  sunk, 
with  two  river  steamboats,  the  "Curtis  Peck"  and  the  "North- 
ampton," at  the  obstructions  placed  previously  in  the  river  by 
the  Confederate  authorities,  a  few  miles  from  Fort  Darling, 
in  August,  1862.  But  previous  to  this,  both  these  steamers 
had  been  plated  with  iron  for  protection  to  their  machinery, 
and  were  in  the  engagement  of  the  first  day  with  the  "Merri- 
mac"  or  "Virginia,"  when  they  destroyed  part  of  the  Union 


464  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

fleet  at  Newport  News,  as  well  as  the  second  day,  as  tenders 
to  the  "Merrimac,"  when  the  .latter  vessel  and  the  "Monitor" 
had  their  memorable  naval  engagement.  The  "Yorktown"  was 
then  known  as  the  "Patrick  Henry."  The  "Boanoke"  was  the 
only  one  of  the  line  saved  from  service  in  the  Confederate 
cause,  but  the  vessel  was  disposed  of  in  the  same  interest  in  a 
summary  manner  on  September  29th,  1864,  while  in  the  New 
York  and  Havana  trade.  A  Confederate  naval  officer  and 
several  men  had  taken  passage  from  Havana  on  the  vessel, 
and  when  six  or  eight  hours  from  port,  took  possession  of  the 
vessel  by  force,  run  her  into  Bermuda,  subsequently  went  to 
sea,  captured  a  sailing  vessel,  to  which  were  transferred  all 
the  passengers  and  crew  of  the  vessel,  and  set  the  latter  on  fire. 
The  "Yorktown"  was  blown  up  during  the  evacuation  of 
Richmond  by  the  Confederate  naval  officers  where  she  lay 
a  few  miles  below  the  city.  That  wiped  out  the  first  fleet 
of  the  N.  Y.  and  Virginia  S.  S.  Co. 

As  the  James  River  was  the  most  prominent  scene  of 
military  operations  during  the  war,  there  was  no  commercial 
intercourse  to  Norfolk  or  Richmond  until  after  the  surrender 
of  General  Lee,  on  April  9th,  1865.  In  May,  1865,  the  "Yazoo" 
and  the  "Creole,"  each  of  about  1,200  tons,  built  during  1863, 
for  the  New  York  and  Virginia  S.  S.  Co.,  were  running  to 
Norfolk,  Va.,  under  the  old  New  York  agents,  Heineken  & 
Pleasant,  until  the  "Niagara"  and  the  "Saratoga"  were  com- 
pleted in  the  following  month  of  December. 

The  Atlantic  Coast  Mail  S.  S.  Co.  also  had  several  of 
their  steamships  running  to  the  James  River  this  year,  most 
of  the  time  the  "Hatteras,"  the  "Albemarle,".  the  "Varuna" 
and  the  "Ariadne,"  under  the  management  of  Livingston  Fox 
&  Co.,  who  was  associated  with  N.  L.  McCready,  Isaac  Bell, 
Francis  Skiddy  and  others  in  the  company.  Matters  run  on 
until  1866,  when  there  was  a  division  of  the  floating  property 
of  the  company.  The  "Hatteras,"  the  "Albeniarle,"  the 
"Rapidan,"  and  the  "Raleigh"  were  four  small  side-wheel 
vessels  of  860  tons  each,  with  beam  engines,  built  at  Brooklyn 
in  1865;  they  were  not  nautical  beauties,  their  full,  deep  stem 
being  a  marked  feature  with  them  all.  These  vessels  were  a 
part  of  the  fleet  of  the  Atlantic  Coast  Mail  S.  S.  Co.,  and  in 
the  division  of  the  property  Livingston  Fox  &  Co.  took  the 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  465 

two  K's,  the  "Rapidan"  and  the  "Raleigh,"  while  the  "Hat- 
teras"  and  the  "Albemarle"  were  taken  by  N.  L.  McCready. 

The  "Niagara"  and  the  "Saratoga"  were  side  wheelers  of 
the  same  length  as  the  former  "Roanoke,"  but  with  more  beam, 
and  with  the  exception  of  having  a  single  beam  engine.  While 
they  were  nice-looking  vessels,  they  were  unprofitable  vessels 
to  their  owners,  as  their  freight  capacity  ^as  very  limited  for 
their  size. 

With  the  "Albemarle"  and  the  "Hatteras"  as  a  basis, 
N.  L.  McCready  formed  a  consolidation,  in  June,  1867,  with 
the  New  York  and  Virginia  S.  S.  Co.,  who  owned  the  "Niagara" 
and  the  "Saratoga,"  and  the  "Yazoo"  and  the  "Creole,"  under 
the  corporate  name  of  the  Old  Dominion  S.  S.  Co.,  with  N.  L. 
McCready  as  President.  The  "Creole"  was  lost  in  March,  1868, 
and  the  "Niagara"  and  the  "Saratoga"  were  sold  in  a  few 
years  to  parties  in  Cuba.  Norfolk  was  not  thought  at  this 
time  to  be  the  best  point  on  the  coast  for  a  profitable  line,  but 
the  increased  railroad  facilities  of  that  section  has  brought 
much  business  to  the  steamship  company,  both  in  freight  and 
passengers. 

The  Old  Dominion  Co.  built  a  few  side-wheel  steamships 
after  the  formation  of  the  company:  the  "Isaac  Bell,"  in  1868, 
wooden  hull,  built  at  Brooklyn,  the  last  of  their  wooden-hull 
vessels;  the  "Wyanoke,"  iron  hull,  built  in  1870,  and  the  "Old 
Dominion,"  iron  hull,  constructed  in  1872,  the  two  latter  by 
Harlan  &  Hollingsworth  Co. 

In  1872,  the  Virginia  Steamship  and  Packet  Co.  was 
incorporated  as  an  opposition  line,  and  the  iron  hull  of  a 
vessel  for  them,  was  constructed  at  Richmond,  Va.,  by  Richard 
Lavery,  who  was  at  one  time  superintendent  for  Harrison 
Loring,  the  shipbuilder,  at  South  Boston,  Mass.,  but  when  the 
hull  was  completed  it  was  sold  to  the  Old  Dominion  S.  S.  Co., 
who  sent  the  hull  to  Harlan  &  Hollingsworth  Co.,  who  fitted 
the  machinery  on  board.  There  was  also  a  fair  prospect  of  an- 
other opposition  in  1874,  when  the  "Geo.  W.  Elder"  was  built; 
this  vessel  also  passed  into  other  hands,  and  was  sent  to  the 
Pacific-  coast. 

The  Old  Dominion  Company  subsequently  had  constructed 
by  the  Delaware  River  Iron  S.  B.  &  E.  Co.  the  "Manhattan,"  in 
1879,  of  1,525  tons;  the  "Breakwater,"  in  1880,  of  1,044  tons; 


466  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

the  same  year  they  lost  the  "Isaac  Bell"  by  fire.  In  1882, 
the  "Roanoke"  and  the  "Guyandotte,"  each  of  2,354  tons,  were 
built;  in  1884,  the  "Seneca,"  of  2,729  tons;  in  1894,  the  "James- 
town" and  the  "Yorktown,"  each  of  2,898  tons,  and  in  1897 
the  "Princess  Anne,"  of  3,078  tons;  in  1899,  the  "Hamilton" 
and  the  "Jefferson,"  each  of  3,127  tons. 

The  "Yorktown,"  of  1894,  was  sold  to  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment, in  1898,  for  $475,000,  for  service  in  the  Spanish- Amer- 
ican war,  and  her  name  changed  to  "Resolute." 

The  present  fleet  of  this  line  consists  of  the  "Hamilton," 
the  "Jefferson,"  "Guyandotte,"  "Princess  Anne"  and  "James- 
town." They  form  a  daily  line  between  New  York  and 
Norfolk. 

GALVESTON,  TEXAS. 

Galveston  was  a  port  prior  to  1860  that  had  most  of  its 
commercial  intercourse  with  the  outside  world  through  the 
city  of  New  Orleans.  Charles  Morgan  had  a  line  of  coastwise 
steamers  from  New  Orleans  to  the  coast  towns  of  Texas,  and 
extending  to  Mexican  ports,  before  1840.  The  first  of  this 
line  was  in  all  probability  run  by  the  "Columbia,"  from  New 
Orleans  to  Galveston,  in  February  or  March,  1838,  and  fol- 
lowed later  by  the  "New  York,"  both  from  the  New  York  and 
Charleston  line.  The  business  of  Galveston  before  the  date 
named  was  very  small,  the  port  itself  having  not  moro  than 
a  thousand  inhabitants. 

What  retarded  the  development  of  the  seaport  was  the 
absence  of  a  safe  inlet  to  the  harbor  and  sufficient  depth  of 
water,  with  a  large  enough  area  of  anchorage  for  vessels  at  all 
seasons  of  the  year.  An  engineer  thus  reported  the  conditions 
surrounding  the  harbor  and  its  entrance:  "In  1869  it  was  often 
impossible  for  the  Morgan  line  steamers  to  cross  the  bar  at 
Galveston.  Passengers,  freight  and  baggage,  were  frequently 
lightered  ashore  at  great  risk  of  being  thrown  overboard. 
The  outer  bar  of  the  harbor  being  three  miles  from  Fort  Point, 
and  had  a  channel  depth  of  12  feet,  but  vessels  were  com- 
pelled to  "lay  to"  awaiting  a  favorable  wind  and  tide  before 
attempting  to  cross  the  bar."  Then  there  was  the  inner  bar, 
and  but  a  limited  area  of  the  harbor  proper  that  could  float 


COASTAVISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  467 

a  vessel  drawing  over  12  feet.  It  was  not  until  1870  that 
any  improvements  were  made  in  these  conditions,  when  a  jetty 
was  completed  through  an  appropriation  made  by  the  city  of 
Galveston  that  resulted  in  an  increased  depth  of  water  of  two 
feet.  In  1870,  Congress  having  made  an  appropriation  for  the 
purpose,  the  U.  8.  engineers  assumed  charge  of  the  work 
of  the  improvement,  and  by  the  ordinary  method  of  dredging 
increased  the  depth  of  water  still  further. 

The  original  project  for  the  permanent  improvement  of 
this  harbor  was  made  in  June,  1874,  and  contemplated  the 
construction  of  jetties,  which  were  expected  to  deepen  the 
channel  to  18  feet,  but  this  proved  unsatisfactory.  The  im- 
provement of  the  harbor  has  been  carried  on  under  a  project 
formulated  by  a  board  of  engineers  of  the  U.  S.  Army,  made 
in  1886,  and  has  given  a  gradual  increased  depth  of  water 
ever  since,  until  at  the  survey  made  in  February,  1901, 
there  was  a  depth  of  25  feet  5  inches  on  both  inner  and  outer 
bars.  There  has  been  over  f  8,000,000  expended  by  the  U.  8. 
Government  to  make  the  improvement  in  the  harbor,  but 
what  a  benefit  it  has  been  to  the  commerce  of  the  port,  and 
at  the  same  time  to  the  southwest,  can  be  seen  in  one  direction, 
and  that  is  in  the  increased  size  and  carrying  capacity  of  the 
steamers  of  the  New  York  and  Galveston  line  of  twenty-five 
years  ago  and  those  of  the  present  day. 

The  first  coasting  steamships  to  trade  to  Galveston  outside 
of  New  Orleans,  after  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  was  for  a 
short  time  a  line  from  New  York  by  Williams  &  Guion,  but 
the  first  permanent  service  was  that  of  Spofford.  &  Tileston, 
of  a  line  from  New  York  of  small  propellers  ranging  from  150 
feet  to  180  feet  in  length,  and  drawing  from  10  feet  to  12  feet 
of  water  loaded,  in  1866  and  1867,  and  named  the  "Tybee," 
"Perit"  and  "Trade  Wind." 

In  1871,  C.  H.  Mallory  &  Co.  opened  a  line  from  New 
York  with  larger  vessels  than  any  previously  to  that  port, 
among  them  being  the  "Ariadne,"  "City  of  Galveston,"  and 
"City  of  Dallas,"  and  later  "City  of  Houston."  At  the  same 
time  William  P.  Clyde  &  Co.  had  the  "Clyde,"  "Wilmington," 
and  later  "Geo.  W.  Clyde"  in  this  service,  they  being  run  for 
their  account  by  Mallory  &  Co.  At  a  later  date  Mallory  &  Co. 
added  the  "City  of  Austin"  and  the  "City  of  San  Antonio."  The 


468  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

vessels  of  Clyde  &  Co.  were  run  to  Galveston  until  1876,  when 
the  company  having  become  interested  in  the  Pacific  Mail 
S.  S.  Co.,  and  also  in  the  Havana  line,  after  the  collapse  of 
the  Atlantic  Mail  Company  bubble,  left  the  Galveston  business 
to  Mai  lory  &  Co.,  and,  as  they  had  quite  a  fleet  of  steam  vessels, 
were  well  able  to  hold  the  business  they  had  at  this  time,;  It 
should  be  noted  that  the  Morgan  S.  S.  Co.,  from  New  York  to 
New7  Orleans  and  the  Texas  R.  R.  Co.,  were  beginning  to  make 
their  connections  felt  as  being  a  factor  of  some  moment  in  the 
transportation  business  to  the  Southwest  that  was  not  to  be 
ignored.  The  first  iron  steamship  of  the  Mallory  line  was  the 
"City  of  Houston,"  built  in  1871,  by  Reaney  Son  &  Archbold, 
at  Chester,  Pa.,  and  lost  at  sea  in  1878.  Their  wooden-hull 
vessels  were  the  "City  of  Dallas,"  built  in  1872,  and  the  "City 
of  Galveston,"  in  1870.  Since  1880  the  company  have  had 
constructed  nine  vessels  for  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  for  these 
Galveston  steamships  stop  at  Key  West,  Fla.,  the  "Guade- 
loupe," the  "San  Marcos,"  the  "Lampasas,"  the  "Alamo,"  the 
"Comal,"  the  "Nueces,"  the  "Concho,"  the  "Leona,"  ;now  the 
"Sabine,"  and  the  last,  the  "Denver,"  the  largest  and  finest 
of  the  fleet,  that  has  been  running  since  late  in  1901. 

The  claim  that  is  made  that  the  steamship  "George  W. 
Clyde"  was  the  pioneer  merchant  screw-propeller  steamer  in 
this  country  with  the  compound  engine,  is  an  error  for  more 
reasons  than  one.  First,  because  there  were  several  compound 
marine  engines  in  merchant  vessels  on  the  Northern  lakes  prior 
to.  1870;  and  second,  that  there  were  six  steam  vessels  on  the 
Atlantic  coast,  four  merchant  steamers  and  two  United  States 
government  vessels,  with  compound  engines  prior  to  the 
"George  W.  Clyde."  Three  of  these  had  been  altered  from 
simple  engines,  and  three  were  new  vessels  with  engines 
complete,  some  "steeple"  and  some  fore  and  aft  compound. 
The  tugboat  tfW.  F.  Hamill"  was  changed  in  February,  1870; 
the  propeller  "Norwich"  had  small  cylinder  added  in  March, 
1870;  the  "Benefactor,"  of  the  New  York  and  Philadelphia 
line,  .was  built  and  finished  in  August,  1870;  the  propeller 
"Fern,"  for  the  Lighthouse  Department,  was  completed  in 
December,  1871,  fore  and  aft  compound;  the  "Hassler,"  for 
the  Coast  Survey  Department,  was  finished  in  November,  1871 ; 
and.  the  "Stars  and  Stripes,"  subsequently  the  "Metropolis," 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LIKES.  469 

was  altered  to  a  compound  by  adding  small  cylinders  in 
September,  1871.  The  "George  W.  Cldye"  was  not  completed 
until  April,  1872,  leaving  New  York  on  April  6th  for  Galveston, 
Texas,  but  during  the  previous  month,  while  her  joiner  work 
was  yet  in  an  unfinished  state,  she  was  given  an  experimental 
trip  from  Philadelphia  to  Charleston,  S.  C.,  with  a  cargo  of 
freight,  but  no  passengers.  When  it  is  said  the  "George  W. 
Clyde"  was  the  first  steamship  with  a  fore  and  aft  compound 
engine  having  a  receiver  between  the  two  cylinders,  then  the  claim 
can  be  allowed.* 

NEW  YORK  TO  HAVANA,  CUBA. 

The  steam  communication  between  New  York  and  Cuba, 
setting  aside  the  service  of  the  "Robert  Fulton,"  from  1820, 
is  almost  identical,  in  its  early  stages,  with  the  development  of 
our  coastwise  steamship  lines,  as  it  wras  through  these  lines 
that  commercial  intercourse  was  held  with  Havana.** 

The  first  steamship  running  for  any  time  direct  from  New 
York  to  Havana  was  the  "Quaker  City,"  in  May,  1859.  The 
vessel  run  also  in  1860  and  1861,  until  purchased  by  the  Navy 
Department  for  blockading  service.  In  1862,  Spofford  &  Tile- 
ston  started  a  line  and  placed  the  "Columbia,"  which  they  had 
on  the  Charleston  route  previous  to  1861,  with  a  new  vessel 
they  had  constructed  during  the  year,  and  named  the  "Eagle.'' 
This  was  the  second  "Eagle"  that  they  had  built;  the  first 
was  subsequently  the  "Rhode  Island"  and  the  "Charleston." 
Ludlum  &  Heineken  were  at  the  same  time  running  the 
"Roanoke."  In  1863  the  "Eagle"  was  the  more  regular  of  all 
the  vessels  in  the  Havana  trade,  the  "Roanoke"  stopping  there 
at  times  on  -the  voyage  to  New  Orleans.  It  was  during  the 
next  year  that  the  "Roanoke,"  on  September  29th,  while  on 
the  voyage  from  Havana,  was  taken  possession  of  by  an  officer 
of  the  Confederate  States  Navy,  with  some  men,  all  of  whom 

*  See  "Engineering  News"  of  New  York,  of  October  5th,  1899,  in  an 
article  by  the  author  on  "Early  Compound  Marine  Propeller  Engines 
in  United  States." 

*  *  In  1841  there  was  a  ship  named  the  "Clarion,"  having  Ericcson 
twin-screws,  operated  by  two  engines  and  without  the  intervention  of 
gearing,  as  auxiliary  power,  that  run  to  Havana  from  New  York  two 
or  three  voyages,  making  the  run  each  time  in  7  or  8  days. 


470  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP 

sailed  as  passengers,  who  subsequently  set  the  vessel  on  fire 
after  putting  the  passengers  and  crew  on  a  sailing  vessel. 
Hargous  Bros,  run  the  "Havana"  and  the  "Liberty,"  two  large 
propellers,  the  first  an  iron-hull  vessel,  built  that  year  at 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  and  the  "Liberty,"  a  wooden-hull  vessel, 
while  Spofford  &  Tileston  had  the  "Eagle,"  the  "Columbia," 
and  the  "Morro  Castle,"  which  latter  was  a  new  vessel,  this 
year;  the  engine  of  this  vessel  was  originally  in  the  "City  of 
Buffalo,"  on  Lake  Erie,  and  afterwards  put  in  the  "Grand 
Republic,"  in  New  York  waters.  In  1865  and  1866  Hargous 
Bros,  were  still  in  the  same  trade,  and  Spofford  &  Tileston 
were  running  same  vessels  as  in  1864.  In  May,  1866,  the  At- 
lantic Mail  S.  S.  Co.  came  into  possession  of  Spofford  &  Tile- 
ston's  vessels,  and  in  1868  and  1869  Livingston  Fox  &  Co.  were 
running  the  "Rapidan"  and  "Raleigh."  This  Atlantic  Mail 
S.  S.  Co.  was  formed  in  1865,  the  principal  owners  being  Wall 
Street  capitalists.  They  purchased  the  fleet  then  owned  by 
Com.  Vanderbilt,  and  running  to  Aspinwall,  which  they  con- 
tinued for  a  time.  They  also  run  a  line  from  Panama  to  South 
Pacific  coast  under  a  subsidy.  This  large  fleet  was  subse- 
quently disposed  of.  They  run  the  line  to  Havana  for  about 
seven  years,  when  the  company  failed  from  competition  and 
other  causes,  and  the  three  or  four  vessels  they  then  owned 
were  sold  to  satisfy  claims.  They  received  in  the  time  they 
run  to  Havana  from  the  government  .for  carrying  the  mails 
the  sum  of  f  234,957. 

Alexander  &  Sons  began  to  run  steamships  to  Havana,  on 
the  voyage  to  Mexico,  with  the  "City  of  Mexico,"  and  the 
"Cleopatra,"  in  1869,  and  in  1870,  with  the  addition  of  the 
"City  of  Merida."  In  1874  they  had  the  "City  of  Merida," 
"City  of  New  York,"  and  the  "City  of  Havana,"  all  wooden-hull 
propellers.  The  Clyde  line  had  running  there  at  this  time 
the  "Crescent  City,"  the  "Wilmington,"  and  the  "Morro  Castle," 
which  they  continued  for  a  few  years,  and  in  1 880  the  "Santiago 
de  Cuba,"  that  had  been  altered  to  a  propeller,  with  the  "Morro 
Castle."  Alexander  &  Sons,  in  1877,  had  built  for  them  by  John 
Roach  &  Sons,  their  first  iron-hull  vessel,  the  "City  of  Wash- 
ington," and  in  1879  the  "City  of  Alexandria,"  that  was  slightly 
larger. 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  471 

In  the  same  year,  1877,  James  E.  Ward  &  Co.,  who  had 
been  in  the  West  Indian  trade  with  sailing  vessels,  had  built 
for  them  by  John  Roach  &  Sons  the  "Niagara"  and  the  "Sara- 
toga," each  272'x,*8'x24',  with  compound  engines.  Mr.  Roach 
became  interested  in  the  line  through  the  construction  of  these 
vessels,  and  more  than  one  of  our  coastwise  lines  were  built 
up  at  this  time  through  his  liberality  and  the  aid  of  some  New 
York  capitalists.  He  was  also  engaged  at  this  time  with 
other  builders  in  furthering  the  interests  of  iron  shipbuilding 
in  this  country,  through  legislation  in  Congress,  thai  had  felt 
the  business  depression  since  the  panic  of  1874.  The  starting 
of  new  lines,  and  the  development  of  old  ones  at  this  period 
may  be  noted,  though  not  from  the  former  cause.  The  "Sara- 
toga" was  purchased  by  the  Russian  government  for  a  war 
vessel,  when  near  completion,  and  in  1879  another  "Saratoga" 
had  been  completed  for  the  company.  In  1880  the  same 
builders  constructed  the  "Newport,"  that  was  50  feet  longer 
than  either  of  the  other  vessels,  and  with  a  larger  proportion 
of  engine  power.  This  vessel  made  very  fast  time  on  the 
passage  to  Havana  or  to  New  York,  and  was  considered  to  be 
one  of  the  vessels  of  high  speed  on  the  coast  at  the  time. 

At  this  date  there  were  but  two  lines  to  Havana,  and  the 
rivalry  was  brisk.  The  next  year  the  William  Cramp  &  Sons 
S.  B.  Co.,  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  built  for  the  Alexander  line 
the  "Ciiy  of  Puebla,"  of  about  the  same  dimensions  and  power 
as  the  "Newport."  This  vessel  was  fitted  with  fine  passenger 
accommodations,  and  made  excellent  time  between  the  two 
ports.  About  this  time  the  contract  for  carrying  the  Mexican 
mail  expired,  and  the  company  failed  to  renew  it  with  the 
Mexican  government,  but  having  large  freight  contracts  to 
fulfil  that  run  for  some  time,  they  chartered  later  two  foreign 
steamships  for  a  year  or  so,  and  in  1884  sold  the  "City  of 
Puebla"  to  the  Pacific  Mail  S.  S.  Co.,  and  in  1888  sold  the 
"City  of  Washington"  and  the  "City  of  Alexandria"  to  the 
New  York  and  Cuba  Mail  S.  S.  Co.,  thus  closing  up  the  business 
of  the  Alexandria  line. 

Since  the  Spanish- American  war  of  1898,  the  New  York 
&nd  Cuba  Mail  S.  S.  Company  have  added  to  their  fleet  to 
Cuban  ports  three  twin-screw  steamships  of  increased  dimen- 
sions over  their  former  vessels,  with  very  large  power  of 


472  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

engines,  and  since  they  have  been  in  operation  have  proved 
themselves  to  be  the  fastest  as  well  as  the  most  popular  vessels 
that  have  been  on  the  line.  The  business  had  increased  in  a 
few  years  so  largely  that  it  was  found  necessary  to  have  larger 
and  faster  vessels  to  keep  abreast  of  the  times. 

NEW  YORK  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO. 

It  is  the  popular  impression  that  the  discovery  of  gold  in 
California,  in  1848,  was  the  inciting  cause  of  the  establishment 
of  steam  navigation  on  the  Atlantic  Ocean  and  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  via  the  Isthmus  of  Panama.  But  such  was  not  the 
case.  The  causes  existed  prior  to  that  date.  The  treaty  of 
the  United  States  with  Great  Britain,  in  1846,  that  settled 
the  line  of  the  northwest  bo-undary  covering  the  present  State 
of  Oregon;  and  during  the  early  part  of  1848,  Mexico  having 
ceded  California  to  the  United  States,  opened  up  a  rich  and 
fertile  land  that  was  taken  advantage  of  by  many  settlers 
from  the  Eastern  States,  whose  only  channel  at  that  time  for 
reaching  the  distant  country  was  across  the  western  plains  and 
the  Rocky  Mountains  by  wagons,  for  the  railroad  across  the 
plains  was  not  commenced  for  some  fifteen  years  after.  It 
was  with  a  view  of  facilitating  the  means  of  communication 
between  the  Atlantic  States  and  the  Pacific  possessions  that 
the  Congress  authorized  a  mail  steamship  service  via  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama. 

A  contract  for  a  monthly  mail  service  on  the  Pacific  Ocean 
was  made  with  Arnold  Harris,  who  was  engaged  in  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico  steamship  trade,  with  Charles  Morgan,  at  f  199,000 
per  annum,  who  assigned  the  contract  to  W.  H.  Aspinwall  and 
associates  on  November  30th,  1847.  This  mail  contract  was 
considered  of  about  as  much  value  at  the  time  as  the  one  for 
the  Atlantic  coast,  and  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  the  gold 
discovery  in  California  saved  all  those  who  had  become  in- 
terested in  its  fulfilment  from  financial  ruin. 

The  Pacific  Mail  S.  S.  Co.  was  chartered  by  the  Legislature 
of  the  State  of  New  York  on  April  13th,  1848,  for  twenty 
years,  with  a  capital  of  $400,000,  that  was  subsequently  in- 
creased to  12,000,000.  Their  first  steamship,  the  "California," 
sailed  from  New  York  on  Friday,  October  Gth,  1848,  and 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  473 

arrived  at  Panama  on  January  20th,  1849,  and  sailed  for  San 
Francisco  on  January  30th.  The  second  steamer,  the  "Ore- 
gon," sailed  on  December  9th,  1848,  and  arrived  at  Panama 
on  February  26th,  1849.  The  third  vessel,  the  "Panama,"  left 
on  February  15th,  1849,  but  became  disabled  when  several 
days  out  from  New  York,  and  had  to  return  for  repairs  to 
her  engine,  and  subsequently  sailed  for  the  Pacific  Ocean. 
These  vessels  were  built,  the  "California"  and  the  "Panama," 
by  Wm.  H.  Webb,  and  the  "Oregon"  by  Smith  &  Dimon.  They 
were  loaded  when  leaving  New  York  writh  material  for  build- 
ings, tools  for  the  shops,  duplicate  pieces  of  machinery  and 
supplies  of  all  kinds  that  wrere  necessary  to  install  a  plant  for 
the  repairs  of  the  vessels  and  the  machinery,  all  of  which  had 
to  be  sent  from  the  Atlantic  coast. 

The  running  of  a  line  of  steam  vessels  on  the  Pacific  coast 
at  this  period  was  very  expensive  in  the  matter  of  coal  alone, 
as  the  supply  had  to  be  brought  from  the  United  States  or 
England,  and  cost  not  less  than  twenty  dollars  a  ton,  and  in 
one  case  fifty  dollars  a  ton  was  paid.  The  company  had  as 
many  as  nine  vessels  in  operation,  consuming  as  much  as 
35,000  tons  of  coal  a  year.  As  there  was  no  dry  dock  at  San 
Francisco  until  one  was  completed  by  the  United  States 
government  in  1854,  the  company  was  compelled  to  beach 
their  vessels  when  necessary  for  cleaning  their  bottoms,  or  for 
repairs  below  the  water  line. 

What  probably  had  more  to  do  with  developing  this  gold 
craze  to  such  proportions  as  it  assumed,  was  that  part  of  the 
President's  Annual  Message  of  1848  on  the  discovery  of  gold 
in  California,  coming  as  it  did  just  at  the  time  of  the  year 
when  many  were  unemployed,  and  after  the  first  full  account 
of  the  mineral  wealth  of  the  new  country  had  been  laid  before 
the  people  in  the  daily  journals. 

The  part  of  the  message  relating  to  the  discovery  of 
gold  was  as  follows,  viz. : 

"It  was  known  that  mines  of  the  precious  metals  existed 
to  a  considerable  extent  in  California  at  the.  time  of  its 
acquisition.  Recent  discoveries  render  it  probable  that  these 
mines  are  more  extensive  and  valuable  than  was  anticipated. 
The  accounts  of  the  abundance  of  gold  in  that  territory  are 
of  such  an  extraordinary  character  as  wrould  scarcely  command 


474  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

belief  were  they  not  corroborated  by  the  authentic  reports  of 
officers  in  the  public  service,  who  have  visited  the  mineral 
districts  and  derived  the  facts  which  they  detail  from  personal 
observation.  Reluctant  to  credit  the  reports  in  general  circu- 
lation as  to  the  quantity  of  gold,  the  officer  commanding  our 
forces  in  California  visited  the  mineral  district  in  July  last  for 
the  purpose  of  obtaining  accurate  information  on  the  subject. 
(His  report  to  the  War  Department  of  the  result  of  his  exam- 
ination and  the  facts  obtained  on  the  spot  is  herewith  laid  be- 
fore Congress.)  When  he  visited  the  country  there  were  about 
4,000  persons  engaged  in  collecting  gold.  The  explorations 
already  made  warrant  the  belief  that  the  supply  is  very  large, 
and  that  gold  is  found  at  various  places  in  an  extensive  district 
of  country.  Labor  commands  a  most  exorbitant  price,  and  all 
other  pursuits  but  that  of  searching  for  the  precious  metals 
are  abandoned.  Ships  arriving  at  the  coast  are  deserted  by 
their  crews  and  their  voyages  suspended  for  want  of  sailors. 
Our  commanding  officer  there  entertains  apprehensions  that 
soldiers  cannot  be  kept  in  the  public  service  without  a  large 
increase  of  pa}r.  Desertions  in  his  command  have  become 
frequent.  This  abundance  of  gold  and  the  all  engrossing 
pursuit  of  it  have  already  caused  in  California  an  unprece- 
dented rise  in  the  prices  of  the  necessaries  of  life." 

Looking  back  to  the  period  named,  it  does  not  seem  im- 
probable but  that  the  endorsement  in  the  President's  Message 
was  for  the  purpose  of  creating  new  states  on  the  Pacific 
Ocean  by  .emigration  from  the  older  States,  to  be  controlled 
politically  by  the  dominant  party  at  that  time.  The  awarding 
ot  the  mail  contracts  were  political  in  their  character,  as 
known  at  the  time. 

Right  after  this  glowing  account  of  the  wealth  of  gold  in 
our  new  possessions,  and  coming  from  such  a  high  authority 
as  the  President's  Message,  preparations  were  made  by  the 
eastern  merchants  on  an  extensive  scale  for  the  forwarding 
of  the  necessary  merchandise  to.  the  new  possessions.  Ves- 
sels sailed  almost  daily  from  the  principal  ports  on  the  At- 
lantic coast  for  San  Francisco.  During  the  month  of  February, 
1849,  there  were  22  sailing  vessels  cleared  at  the  port  of  New 
York  for  California  with  about  2  000  passengers.  Boston, 
during  the  same  period,  10  vessels  and  700  passengers.  Other 


V   i  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  475 

Atlantic  coast  ports  in  proportion.  These  sailing  vessels  went 
by  way  of  Cape  Horn. 

The  means  of  transit  across  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  before 
the  railroad  was  in  operation,  was  by  canoes  at  first,  which 
were  propelled  by  the  natives  some  thirty  miles  up  the 
Chagres  River,  the  remaining  distance  to  the  Pacific  Ocean 
being  traversed  on  land  by  mule's.  The  distance  from  ocean 
to  ocean  was  usually  covered  in  two  days.  A  small  side- 
wheel  steamboat  named  "Or us,"  that  had  r.un  in  New  York 
Bay,  and  an  iron-hull  side-wheel  steamboat  named  "Gorgona," 
that  was  built  in  New  York  City,  was  run  on  the  Chagres  River 
in  connection  with  the  railroad  before  its  completion.  Pas- 
senger fare  through,  first  class,  |600;  deck,  |300;  sailing 
vessel,  $300. 

By  the  summer  of  1849  the  first  mad  rush  had  expended 
itself;  more  steamships  were  running  to  Chagres,  and  the 
means  of  transportation  on  the  isthmus  had  materially  im- 
proved. -By  this  time  but  four  sailing  vessels  were  leaving  for 
the  "gold  diggings''  from  the  Atlantic  coast. 

A  contract  wras  made  with  those  interested  in  the  Pacific 
Mail  S.  S.  Co.  with  the  government  of  New  Granada  for  the 
exclusive  privilege  of  constructing  a  railroad  across  the 
isthmus.  Work  was  commenced  in  May,  1850,  and  after  many 
discouragements  and  difficulties,  mainly  from  the  labor  em- 
ployed in  building  the  road  being  unacclimated,  it  was  finished 
on  January  27th,  1855.  Its  entire  length  is  47  miles. 

In  1851,  the  company  built  the  "Golden  Gate,"  and  in 
1853  the  "John  L.  Stephens,"  both  of  them  much  larger  and 
of  more  power  than  their  first  three  vessels.  They  purchased 
six  or  eight  steamships  at  different  times  for  their  service  on 
the  Pacific  Ocean,  mostly  vessels  of  under  1,000  tons.  There 
were  many  vessels  sent  around  from  the  Atlantic  coast  when 
the  gold  fever  broke  out,  some  of  them  worn  out  in  the  service 
on  the  coast,  and  others  purchased  by  the  Pacific  Mail  Co. 
The  company  had  built  for  them  at  Newr  York,  in  1853,  by 
YVm.  H.  Webb,  the  "San  Francisco,"  and  when  but  two  or 
Three  days  out  from  New  York  on  her  voyage  to  the  Pacific 
coast,  having  a  number  of  United  States  troops  on  board  for 
duty  in  California,  she  encountered  a  heavy  storm  and  was 
lost  through  the  derangement  of  her  machinery.  This  occurred 


476  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

on  December  24th,  1853.  This  was  the  first  ocean  steamship 
having  feathering  buckets  to  her  water  wheels. 

The  business  of  the  company  prospered  in  spite  of  all 
opposition,  as  there  w^re  several  vessels  sent  to  the  Pacific 
coast  by  outside  parties  that  were  ill  adapted  for  the  work. 
A  company  that  was  projected  in  New  York  in  1853,  having 
some  shipbuilders  in  the  organization,  that  was  intended  to 
run  a  line  on  the  Pacific  coast,  said  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Co.  in 
its  prospectus,  viz.:  "It  is  hardly  necessary  to  refer  to  what  is 
so  generally  known,  the  unexampled  productiveness  of  the 
.United  States  Mail  S.  S.  Co.  and  the  Pacific  Mail  S.  S.  Co., 
running  by  way  of  Asp  in  wall  and  Panama.  The  stockholders, 
as  is  well  known,  have  not  only  received  ample  dividends  on 
their  original  investments,  but  the  investment  itself  has  been 
quadrupled  in  one  of  those  companies  by  the  issue  of  new 
shares  representing  the  additional  vessels  which  have  been 
paid  for  out  of  the  surplus  earnings,  while  in  the  other  quite 
equal  results  have  been  secured." 

The  mail  contract  expired  in  1859,  as  did  also  the  contract 
with  the  United  States  Mail  Co.,  and  a  lively  war  was  inaugu- 
rated between  all  interested  in  the  California  trade.  In 
September,  1859,  the  "Baltic"  and  the  "Atlantic"  were  put  into 
service  between  New  York  and  Aspinwall,  where  there  was 
already  abundance  of  excitement.  These  vessels  were  run  by 
the  North  Atlantic  S.  S.  Co.  until  March,  I860,  and  were  em- 
ployed on  the  route  with  the  purpose  to  try  and  obtain  a 
renewal  of  the  mail  contract  by  making  better  time  between 
the  two  ports  than  Marshall  O.  Koberts'  steamers  had  done. 
It  did  not  require  much  effort  to  shorten  the  time  by  these 
Vessels,  but  the  company  failed  to  obtain  a  renewal  of  the 
mail  contract,  as  Congress  was  not  making  appropriations  at 
that  time  for  the  benefit  of  any  northern  commercial  enterprise. 

In  December,  1859,  there  was  a  very  spirited  race  between 
the  "North  Star"  and  the  "Atlantic"  from  New  York  to  Aspin- 
wall. The  latter  had  the  advantage  from  New  York  harbor 
all  the  way  down  the  coast  to  the  east  end  of  the  island  of 
Cuba,  where  the  "North  Star"  formed  a  closer  acquaintance 
with  her  competitor,  and  from  there  to  Aspinwall  the  vessels 
were  not  out  of  one  another's  sight.  They  were  driven  writh  all 
the  power  of  their  engines  to  the  e.nd  of  the  contest,  but  the 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

"North.  Star"  arrived  at  Aspinwall  15  minutes  before  the  "At- 
lantic." Time  from  New  York,  7  days  3  hours  and  20  minutes. 
The  shortest  time  made  up  to  1855  between  San  Francisco  and 
New  York  was  by  the  "Golden  Gate,"  on  the  Pacific  side,  and 
the  "George  Law,"  on  the  Atlantic  side,  of  19  days  and  2  hours 
of  running  time;  11  days  and  4  hours  on  the  Pacific  side,  and 
7  days  and  22  hours  on  the  Atlantic  side. 

Prior  to  1860,  Cornelius  Vanderbilt  had  obtained  control 
of  the  Atlantic  coast  business,  formerly  held  by  the  United 
States  Mail  Company,  where  he  had  in  operation  the  "Ariel," 
the  "Northern  Light"  and  the  "North  Star,"  and  continued  to 
make  connections  to  the  Pacific  coast  until  1863.  The  "Ariel" 
was  captured  by  the  Confederate  steamer  "Alabama,"  while 
en  route  from  New  York  and  when  off  the  east  coast  of  Cuba, 
on  December  7th,  1862,  and  released  on  giving  "bonds  for  f 261,- 
000.  The  Atlantic  Mail  S.  S.  Co.  obtained  possession  of  this 
fleet  about  1863.  This  company  sold  all  their  fleet  of  steam- 
ships running  to  the  Isthmus  to  the  Pacific  Mail  S,  S.  Co.  in 
September,  1865,  for  f 2,000,000  in  the  stock  of  the  latter  com- 
pany, the  former  corporation  still  remaining  intact  for  future 
business,  thus  giving  the  Pacific  Mail  S.  S.  Co.  control  of  the 
Pacific  and  Atlantic  business  to  California  for  a  few  years. 
The  latter  company  had  on  the  Pacific  Ocean  at  this  time 
the  "Constitution,"  the  "Golden  City,"  the  "Colorado,"  the 
"Sacramento,"  the  "Golden  Age,"  the  "St.  Louis,"  the  "Sonora," 
the  "Uncle  Sam,"  the  "California,"  and  the  "Tobago."  The 
first  four  were  those  large  beam-engine  side  wheelers.  On 
the  Atlantic  Ocean  were  the  "Atlantic,"  the  "Baltic," 
the  "Henry  Chauncey,"  the  "Montana,"  the  "Arizona,"  the 
"Mariposa,"  the  "Monterey,"  the  "Senator,"  the  "Ocean 
Queen,"  the  "New  York,"  the  "Costa  Rica,"  the  "Northern 
Light,"  the  "North  Star,"  the  "Ariel,"  the  "Champion"  and  the 
two  4,000-ton  ships  building  for  the  China  service.  Seven  of 
these  were  from  the  Atlantic  Mail  Company's  fleet. 

There  had  been  many  changes  in  the  affairs  of  the  com- 
pany since  1860,  and  several  of  those  who  were  interested  in 
the  company  in  the  early  days  of  the  organization  could  not 
see  their  way  clear  in  giving  support  to  the  administration  of 
that  day.  One  of  the  developments  of  this  state  of  affairs 
came  in  the  form  of  an  opposition  by  William  H.  Webb,  W.  H. 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  479 

Aspinwall,  M.  O.  Roberts  and  others.  The  North  American 
S.  S.  Co.,  or  Nicaragua  line,  had  been  running  to  Nicaragua 
for  many  years,  now  opened  another  line  via  Panama  in  the 
fall  of  1807,  with  the  "Guiding  Star,"  "Santiago  de  Cuba,"  the 
"Dakota,"  and  the  "Nebraska,"  which  opposition  was  continued 
with  low  rates  of  passenger  fare  as  well  as  freight  charges 
until  October,  1868,  thus  giving  the  old  company  as  lively  an 
opposition  as  they  desired.  There  was  manifested  a  most 
bitter  opposition  feeling  in  this  move.  The  "Nevada."  the 
"Nebraska"  and  the  "Dakota"  were  sent  to  the  Pacific  coast  in 
the  fall  of  1870,  and  in  the  spring  of  1871  opened  a  line  from 
San  Francisco  under  the  name  of  "United  States,  New  Zealand 
and  Australian  Mail  S.  S.  Co.,"  sailing  once  a  month,  via  Hono- 
lulu, and  run  until  the  fall  of  1872,  when  they  were  withdrawn. 
These  vessels  were  beam-engine  steamships,  built  by  Henry 
Steers,  at  New  York,  and  were  about  280  feet  long,  two  of 
the  vessels  having  engines  each  81-inch  cylinder,  and  the 
"Nevada"  85  inches,  all  12  feet  stroke.  W.  H.  Webb,  the  moving 
spirit  of  the  enterprise,  endeavored  to  get  a  subsidy  for  the 
line,  but  the  revenue  reformers  held  the  purse  strings  of  Uncle 
Samuel's  treasury  at  this  time,  and  it  was  impossible  to  get  an 
appropriation  through  Congress  for  the  purpose.  As  soon  as 
this  line  commenced  its  service  on  the  Pacific  side  a  foreign 
tramp  line  was  covering  the  same  trade. 

In  1861  the  Pacific  Mail  S.  S.  Co.  commenced  the  con- 
struction of  the  first  of  the  large  fleet  of  side-wheel  vessels  of 
about  4,000  tons.  The  China  and  Japan  line  was  inaugurated 
by  the  "Colorado,"  leaving  San  Francisco  January  1st,  1867, 
followed  by  some  of  the  earlier  side-wheel  steamships. 

In  1873  the  company  took  a  new  departure  in  accordance 
with  the  spirit  of  advancement  in  shipbuilding,  by  having 
three  new  vessels  constructed  with  hulls  of  iron,  the  "Colon," 
by  John  Roach  &  Son;  the  "Acapulco"  and  the  "Granada," 
by  Harlan  &  Hollingsworth  Co.,  all  having  compound  engines, 
constructed  by  the  John  Elder  Co.  of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  and 
fitted  on  board  the  vessels  by  John  Roach  &  Son,  at  New  York. 
These  vessels  were  ea'ch  300  feet  long  by  40  feet  beam,  having 
cylinders  50  inches  and  86  inches  diameter  by  42  inches  stroke. 
The  same  year  John  Roach  &  Son  also  constructed  for  them 
The  "Colinia,"  being  12  feet  longer  than  either  of  the  other 


480  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LliSTES. 

named  vessels,  with  a  compound  engine  of  51  inches  and  88 
inches  by  42  inches  stroke.  The  next  year  the  same  builders 
constructed  the  "City  of  Panama"  and  the  "Guatemala,"  each 
about  50  feet  shorter  than  the  "Colima."  The  same  year  they 
also  had  in  hand  the  "City  of  Tokio"  and  the  "City  of  Peking" 
for  their  China  line,  they  being  each  423'x47'10x38%',  and 
having  a  pair  of  compound  engines,  each  having  cylinders  51 
todies  and  88  inches  by  54  inches  stroke.  The  large  side 
wheelers  were  now  laid  up,  being  such  large  coal  consumers. 
When  deeply  loaded  their  water  wheels  were  so  immersed 
that  their  engines  were  "tied  up,"  and  their  speed  not  over  an 
average  of  about  eight  knots  under  good  conditions.  They 
subsequently  added  the  "City  of  Para"  and  the  "City  of  Rio 
Janeiro,"  formerly  of  the  New  York  and  Brazil  line;  also  had 
several  built  for  their  Australian  and  the  Pacific  coast  routes. 

About  1873  the  company  fell  under  the  control  of  Wall 
Street  interests,  that  were  also  interested  in  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad,  that  had  been  completed  a  few  years  previous.  In 
1875  the  Panama  Railroad  Company  instituted  proceedings  to 
sever  the  relations  existing  between  the  two  companies,  claim- 
ing that  the  business  of  the  steamship  company  and  of  the 
Panama  Railroad  Company  at  the  same  time  were  sacrificed 
to  the  interests  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  Co.  After  some 
time  a  traffic  arrangement  satisfactory  to  the  two  conflicting 
interests  was  agreed  upon,  and  continued  in  force  until  1893, 
and  from  then  until  December,  1895,  there  were  two  lines 
running  on  the  Atlantic  as  well  as  on  the  Pacific  side.  Until 
a  recent  date  the  Panama  Railroad  Company  has  controlled 
the  Atlantic  coast  trade,  and  the  Pacific  Mail  Company  confined 
itself  exclusively  to  the  Pacific  coast. 

The  Oceanic  S.  S.  Co.  opened  their  line  to  Honolulu  from 
San  Francisco  in  1884  with  the  steamships  "Mariposa"  and  the 
"Alameda." 

NICARAGUA   TRANSIT   CO. 

Commodore  Vanderbilt  entered  the  California  trade  at  a 
much  later  date  than  the  Pacific  Mail  Company,  under  the 
name  of  the  Nicaragua  Transit  Company.  Having  received 
concessions  by  the  way  of  the  San  Juan  River,  in  Nicaragua, 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  481 

to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  he  was  not  prepared  to  open  the  route 
until  June,  1851,  with  the  steamship  "Prometheus,"  although 
he  had  begun  operations  in  February  previous  by  the  way  of 
Chagres  temporarily.  Two  small  side-wheel  boats,  about  100 
feet  long  each,  were  built  at  New  York  for  the  river  service. 
In  1852  he  added  the  "Northern  Light,"  and  in  1853  the  "Star 
of  the  West,"  both  double  beam-engine  steamships.  On  the 
Pacific  side  he  made  connections  with  the  steamships  "S.  S. 
Lewis,"  the  "Pacific"  and  the  "Sierra  Nevada."  In  1853  he 
sold  out  his  interest  in  the  company,  and  Charles  Morgan,  C. 
K.  Garrison  and  others  became  largely  interested.  He  had 
for  some  time  previous  to  this  under  construction  a  steam- 
ship that  he  intended  to  use  for  a  trip  to  Europe,  named  the 
"North  Star."  After  his  return  he  found  the  directors  of  the 
company  not  disposed  to  live  up  to  the  agreement  for  the 
disposal  of  his  interest  in  the  company,  and  in  1854  he  opens 
an  opposition  line  by  the  way  of  Aspinwall  or  Chagres,  with 
the  "North  Star,"  in  connection  with  Edward  Mills'  steamships 
on  the  Pacific  side.  This  lasted  less  than  a  year,  although  it 
was  carried  on  with  the  obstinacy  and  determination  of  the 
"opposition"  of  those  days.  Pursuing  paths  of  peace  in  com- 
mercial circles  was  an  abnormal  condition  for  some  of  them, 
as  they  always  carried  the  chip  on  their  shoulder.  The  next 
year  Vanderbilt  gave  much  attention  to  his  new  line  from  New 
York  to  Havre,  though  he  had  not  lost  sight  of  the  Nicaragua 
business,  for  in  1856  he  had  gained  control  again  of  the  com- 
pany. All  this  time  rates  of  fare  and  freight  had  been  lowered 
by  the  competition  of  the  three  or  four  lines  to  California, 
though  Charles  Morgan  started  an  opposition  for  a  few  months 
in  1856.  As  trouble  had  been  brewing  in  Nicaragua  for  some 
time,  and  a  party  of  filibusters  under  one  Walker  had  man- 
aged to  obtain  control  of  affairs  in  that  State,  the  Nicaragua 
line  run  irregularly  up  to  1858,  when  it  was  closed  up  by  the 
Nicaragua  Transit  Co.  for  a  time,  but  was  revived  at  a  later 
date,  and  continued  until  late  in  1867,  when  the  North 
American  S.  S.  Co.  commenced  running  their  steamships  to 
Panama  in  opposition  to  the  Pacific  Mail  Co.,  when  the  Nica- 
ragua route  was  closed  for  good. 


482  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

NEW  YORK  TO  BRAZIL,  S.  A. 

The  New  York  and  Brazil  Mail  S.  S.  Co.  opened  a  line 
from  New  York  to  Brazil,  making  two  or  three  stops  on  the 
way,  in  January,  1866,  with  the  "North  America"  x  "Fort  Jack- 
son," of  the  blockading  fleet  during  the  Civil  War,  and  during 
the  same  year  the  "Guiding  Star"  for  a  few  months.  W.  R. 
Garrison  was  the  directing  spirit  of  this  enterprise.  The 
vessels  made  monthly  trips,  under  a  mail  contract  with  the 
United  States  government  of  f  150,000  a  year,  for  ten  years.  The 
"South  America"  x  "Connecticut"  was  added  to  the  line  in 
1867,  and  in  1868  the  "Merrimac"  and  the  "Mississippi,"  the 
two  iron-hull  propellers  built  by  Harrison  Loring,  of  Boston, 
Mass.  The  "Mississippi"  was  wrecked  on  Great  Pensacola 
Shoal  on  a  voyage  from  Rio  Janeiro  to  New  York,  on  May  12th, 
1869.  The  "North  America,"  the  "South  America,"  and  the 
"Merrimac"  performed  the  service  of  the  line,  and  with  the  ad- 
dition of  the  "Erie"  and  the  "Ontario,"  two  wooden-hull  steam- 
ships built  in  1867  for  a  line  from  Boston  to  Liverpool,  until 
September  22d,  1875,  when  the  "Ontario"  was  the  last  vessef 
despatched  from  New  York  by  the  company.  The  "Erie"  was 
lost  by  fire  on  the  coast  of  Brazil  on  January  1st,  1873. 

There  was  no  American  line  of  steamships  to  Brazil  from 
the  sailing  of  the  "Ontario,"  in  1875,  until  May,  1878,  when  the 
United  States  and  Brazil  Mail  S.  S.  Co.,  which  was  owned 
almost  wholly  by  John  Roach,  and  operated  by  Mallory  &  Co., 
opened  the  line  with  a  chartered  vessel  until  the  "City  of  Para" 
and  the  "City  of  Rio  Janeiro"  were  completed  and  placed  on 
the  line.  These  vessels  were  built  by  the  Delaware  River  Iron 
S.  B.  &  E.  Co.,  and  were  each  345'x38'6x30'4,  with  compound 
engines  42"  and  74"  by  60".  They  were  well-equipped 
vessels,  with  large  passenger  accommodations,  and  much 
superior  to  any  vessels  that  had  been  in  that  service;  in 
fact,  too  expensive  vessels  for  that  trade.  The  line  met  with 
many  obstacles  placed  in  its  path  by  the  foreign  interests  that 
were  affected  by  the  opening  of  the  American  line.  They  had 
a  mail  contract  with  the  Brazilian  government,  giving  them  a 
compensation  of  f  100,000  per  annum.  The  foreign  line  offered 
to  carry  the  mail  to  the  United  States  free  of  cost,  and  that 
failing  to  break  the  mail  contract,  the  cutting  of  freight  rates 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  483 

was  resorted  to  for  breaking  down  the  American  line.  The 
freight  on  coffee  when  the  American  line  was  started  was 
70  cents  per  bag,  and  the  second  year  of  its  operation  the  rate 
had  been  reduced  to  30  cents  per  ba*g,  or  $5.25  per  ton  for  a 
carriage  of  5,200  miles.  At  the  same  time  the  United  States 
government  refused  to  give  the  line  a  contract  for  carrying 
the  mail,  compelling  them  to  carry  the  mail  for  the  sea  postage 
merely.  There  was  not  a  renewal  of  the  mail  contract  after 
the  expiration  of  the  two  years,  but  the  steamers  run  for  nearly 
a  year  after  without  any  mail  contract  from  either  government, 
when  they  were  withdrawn.  The  two  fine  steamers  were 
shortly  after  sold  to  the  Pacific  Mail  S.  S.  Co. 

In  1882  another  company  was  organized  as  the  United 
States  and  Brazil  Mail  S.  S.  Co.,  with  C.  P.  Huntington,  John 
Roach,  Charles  R.  Flint,  H.  K.  Thurber,  among  the  incor- 
porators.  They  had  a  mail  contract  with  the  Brazilian  govern- 
ment for  $100,000  per  annum,  Brazilian  currency,  but  the 
want  of  stability  to  the  foreign  currency  made  it  an  unknown 
quantity,  and  was  one  drawback  the  company  had  to  contend 
against.  The  Delaware  River  I.  S.  B.  &  E.  Co.  built  for  the 
company  three  iron-hull  vessels,  each  295'x38'4x23'4,  with 
compound  engine  36"  and  66"  by  54",  and  named  "Finance," 
"Advance"  and  "Reliance."  They  were  smaller  vessels  than 
the  "City  of  Para"  and  "City  of  Rio  Janeiro,"  and  not  so  large 
passenger  accommodations  in  proportion  to  their  size.  The 
"Finance"  was  the  first  vessel  in  operation,  leaving  New  York 
January  27th,  1883,  and  stopping  at  Newport  News,  Va.  The 
steamers  made  monthly  trips  with  regularity,  and  did  a  fairly 
good  business,  meeting  with  no  ill  fortune  until  the  loss  of  the 
"Reliance,"  in  1884.  In  1886  the  builders  of  the  other  vessels 
completed  for  the  company  the  "Alliance,"  that  was  8  feet 
longer  and  4  feet  wider  than  the  older  vessels.  Previous  to 
this  Mr.  Roach's  interest  in  the  company  had  passed  to  other 
hands,  and  it  was  not  long  before  there  was  a  change  in  the 
management  of  the  company,  and,  taken  by  the  conclusion, 
were  better  that  it  were  not  so.  In  1890,  the  same  builders 
constructed  two  larger  and  finer  vessels  than  the  others  of 
the  fleet,  having  larger  passenger  accommodations  and  finer 
interior  finish.  They  were  321'x45'xl7',  with  triple-expansion 
engine  28",  44"  and  70"x48",  and  named  "Seguranca"  and 


484  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

"Vigilancia."  These  vessels  were  subsequently  found  to  have 
too  large  passenger  accommodations  for  the  route.  Previous 
to  this,  internal  dissensions  in  the  company  began  to  manifest 
themselves,  and  the  want  of  good  management  in  the  affairs 
;of  the  company  compelled  its  passing  into  the  hands  of  a 
receiver,  who  wound  up  the  affairs  of  the  company  in  1893.  The 
"Finance,"  "Advance"  and  "Alliance"  were  sold  by  the  United 
States  Marshal  April  3d,  1893,  to  parties  who  passed  them  over 
to  the  Panama  R.  K.  Co.,  and  the  "Seguranca"  and  the  "Vigil- 
ancia" were  sold  to  the  New  York  and  Cuba  Mail  S.  S.  Co.  It 
is  believed  by  those  well  acquainted  with  the  situation  that 
the  company  would  have  been  prosperous  under  a  wise  and 
economical  administration  of  its  affairs. 

DETAILS  OP  SOME  COASTWISE  STEAMSHIPS. 

"Neptune,"  1838.— Hull,  built  by  Lawrence  &  Sneeden,  of 
New  York,  215'x25'4xl4';  one  "square"  engine,  constructed  by 
the  Allaire  Works,  with  a  cylinder  of  50  inches  diameter  by  11 
feet  6  inches  stroke;  water  wheels,  25  feet  diameter. 

"Northerner,"  1847.— Hull,  built  by  William  H.  Brown,  of 
New  York,  205'x32'8x22'6;  one  side-lever  engine,  with  cylinder 
70"x8',  built  by  the  Novelty  Iron  Works. 

"Falcon,"  1848.— Hull,  built  by  William  H.  Brown,  206'x 
30'6x21';  two  inclined  engines,  built  by  Hogg  &  Delamater,  of 
New  York,  each  having  cylinders  60  inches  diameter  by  5  feet 
stroke;  water  wheels,  32'x7'9. 

"Georgia,"  1849.— Hull,  built  by  Smith  &  Dimon,  of  New 
York,  248'Sx48'8x25'6;  with  two  side-lever  engines,  built  by 
T.  F.  Secor  &  Co.,  each  having  cylinders  of  90  inches  diameter 
by  8  feet  stroke;  water  wheels,  36'xlO'6. 

Philadelphia,"  1849.— Hull,  built  at  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
190'x33'xl8'3,  with  two  side-lever  engines,  constructed  by  Mer- 
rick  &  Towne,  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,- each  having  cylinders  of 
56  inches  diameter  by  6  feet  9  inches  stroke;  water  wheels, 
27'x8'6. 

"Ohio,"  1849. — Hull,  built  by  Jeremiah  Simonson,  at  New 
York,  247'10x45'7x24'6;  two  side-lever  engines,  constructed  by 
T.  F.  Secor  &  Co.,  each  with  a  cylinder  of  90  inches  diameter 
by  8  feet  stroke;  water  wheels,  36'xlO'6;  four  iron-flue  boilers. 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  485 

"Cherokee,"  1849.— Hull,  built  by  William  H.  Webb,  210'x 
35'x22';  one  side-lever  engine,  constructed  by  the  Novelty  Iron 
Works,  with  a  cylinder  of  75  inches  diameter  by  8  feet  stroke. 

"Eldorado,"  1850.— Hull,  constructed  by  Thomas  Collyer, 
of  New  York,  235'x31'x23';  two  vertical  beam  engines,  built  by 
Belknap  &  Cunningham,  each  having  a  cylinder  of  50  inches 
diameter  by  10  feet  stroke;  water  wheels,  29'4x8'10. 

"Union,"  1852.— Hull,  built  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  180'x 
25'4xl7';  two  direct-acting  inverted  propeller  engines,  each 
having  cylinder  of  34  inches  square;  propeller  with  four  blades 
of  10  feet  diameter  and  31  feet  4  inches  pitch. 

"Augusta,"  1852.— Hull,  built  by  William  H.  Webb,  220'x 
35'x21'6;  one  oscillating  engine,  built  by  Novelty  Iron  Works, 
having  cylinder  85  inches  diameter  by  8  feet  stroke;  two 
"rising-flue"  boilers;  water  wheels,  30'xlO'. 

"Nashville,"  1853.— Hull,  built  by  Thomas  Collyer,  216'x 
34'8x22';  one  side-lever  engine,  built  by  Novelty  Iron  Works, 
with  a  cylinder  of  85  inches  diameter  by  8  feet  stroke;  two 
"Miller's"  patent  return-flue  boilers;  water  wheels,  32'xlO'. 

"North  Star,"  1853.— Hull,  built  by  Jeremiah  Simonson, 
269'6x38'x29'6 ;  two  vertical  beam  engines,  constructed  by 
Allaire  Works,  each  with  cylinder  of  66  inches  diameter  and 
10  feet  stroke;  four  drop-flue  boilers;  water  wheels,  with 
feathering  buckets,  33  feet  diameter  by  8  feet  face. 

"San  Francisco,"  1853.— Hull,  constructed  by  William  H. 
Webb,  286'x41'x24' ;  two  inclined  oscillating  engines,  con- 
structed by  Morgan  Iron  Works,  each  with  cylinder  of  65 
inches  diameter  and  8  feet  stroke;  two  drop-flue  boilers; 
water  wheels,  with  feathering  buckets,  of  28  feet  diameter  and 
8  feet  face. 

"Ocean  Bird,"  1854.— Hull,  built  by  J.  W.  Griffith,  at  New 
York,  225'x37'xl6';  one  vertical  beam  engine,  by  Neptune  Iron 
Works,  of  New  York,  having  a  cylinder  of  65  inches  diameter 
by  12  feet  stroke;  four  return-flue  boilers;  water  wheels,  33'x 
7'9. 

"Cahawba,"  1854.— Hull,  constructed  by  William  Collyer, 
of  New  York,  260'x37'xl9'6 ;  one  vertical  beam  engine,  by  the 
Allaire  Works,  with  a  cylinder  of  75  inches  diameter  by  11 
feet  stroke,  and  two  return-flue  boilers;  water  wheels,  31'x8'6, 


486  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

"Quaker  City,"  1854.— Hull,  built  by  Vaughan  &  Lynn,  of 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  227'3x36'x21'3,  with  12  feet  draft  at  load- 
water  line;  one  side-lever  engine,  built  by  Merrick  &  Sons, 
at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  having  a  cylinder  of  85  inches  diameter 
and  8  feet  stroke;  four  return  tubular  boilers,  worked  under 
a  maximum  steam  pressure  of  28  Ibs.;  water  wheels,  30'4 
diameter  and  10  feet  face. 

"Ariel,"  1855. — Hull,  built  by  Jeremiah  Simonson,  250'x 
33'6xl9';  one  vertical  beam  engine,  built  by  Allaire  Works, 
with  a  cylinder  of  75  inches  diameter  by  11  feet  stroke  of 
piston ;  two  return-flue  boilers ;  water  wheels,  33  feet  diameter 
by  8  feet  face. 

"Columbia,"  1857.— Hull,  built  by  Thomas  Collyer,  at  New 
York,  230'x35'x23;  one  side-lever  engine,  constructed  by  the 
Novelty  Iron  Works,  with  a  cylinder  of  85  inches  diameter  and 
9  feet  stroke  of  piston. 

"Ocean  Queen,"  1858.— Hull-,  built  by  J.  A.  Westervelt  & 
Sons,  of  New  York,  330'x42'x22',  with  draft  of  water  at  load 
line  of  15  feet  6  inches;  one  vertical  beam  engine,  built  by 
the  Morgan  Iron  Works,  having  a  cylinder  of  90  inches  diam- 
eter by  12  feet  stroke;  three  return-flue  boilers;  paddle  wheels, 
38  feet  diameter  by  10  feet  6  inches  face. 

"R.  E.  Cuyler,"  1859.— Hull,  built  by  Samuel  Sneeden,  at 
Greenpoint,  N.  Y.,  235'x32'x23'3;  one  vertical  direct-acting 
propeller  engine,  constructed  by  the  Allaire  Works,  having  a 
cylinder  of  70  inches  diameter  by  48  inches  stroke;  two  hori- 
zontal tubular  boilers,  operated  under  a  steam  pressure  of 
25  Ibs.  per  square  inch,  and  cutting  off  in  cylinder  at  half 
stroke;  propeller,  four  blades  of  16  feet  diameter  and  22  feet 
6  inches  pitch. 

"Yorktown,"  1859.— Hull,  built  by  William  H.  Webb, 
250'x34'xl7';  two  vertical  beam  engines,  built  by  the  Morgan 
Iron  Works,  each  with  cylinders  of  50  inches  diameter  by  10 
feet  stroke  of  piston;  two  return-flue  boilers;  paddle  wheels, 
3()'x9'. 

'Champion,"  1859. — Iron  hull,  built  by  flarlan  &  Rollings 
worth  Co.,  of  Wilmington,  Del.,  242'x35'x25'10;  draft  of  watei 
when  light,  10  feet;  two  vertical  beam  engines,  by  builders  of 
the  hull,  each  having  a  cylinder  of  42  inches  diameter  by  10 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP   LINES.  487 

feet  stroke;  paddle  wheels,  30  feet  diameter  by  6  feet  6  inches 
face. 

"San  Jacinto,"  I860.— Iron  hull,  built  by  Harlan  &  Hoi- 
lings  worth  Co.,  at  Wilmington,  Del.,  230'x33'xl5' ;  one  vertical 
beam  engine,  by  builders  of  the  hull,  having  a  cylinder  of 
56  inches  by  11  feet  stroke;  water  wheels,  31  feet  diameter  by 
1  feet  8  inches  face. 

"Matanzas,"  I860.— Iron  hull,  built  by  Delamater  Iron 
Works,  of  New  York,  2<)5'x29'6x20'9 ;  draft,  loaded,  13  feet; 
one  vertical  direct-acting  propeller  engine,  with  cylinder  of  56 
inches  diameter  by  45  inches  stroke;  propeller,  14  feet  diameter 
by  22  feet  pitch.  " 

"Constitution,"  1861.— Hull,  by  William  H.  Webb,  333'x 
44'x31'6;  one  vertical  beam  engine,  built  by  Novelty  Iron 
Works,  having  cylinder  of  105  inches  diameter  by  12  feet 
stroke  of  piston ;  water  wheels,  40  feet  diameter  by  18  feet  face. 

Of  the  fleet  of  ten  of  these  large  side-wheel  steamships 
built  for  the  Pacific  Mail  S.  S.  Co.,  William  H.  Webb  con- 
structed five,  Henry  Steers  three,  and  Webb  &  Bell  two,  sub- 
contracted from  William  H.  W^ebb.  They  were  all  of  nearly 
the  same  general  dimensions  of  the  hull,  with  the  same  size  of 
engine. 

"Morro  Castle,"  1864.— Hull,  built  by  Westervelt  &  Mac- 
kay,  at  New  York,  260'x40'x23';  one  vertical  beam  engine, 
from  steamboat  "City  of  Buffalo,"  on  Lake  Erie,  with  cylinder 
76  inches  by  12  feet  stroke. 

"Rising  Star,"  1865.— Hull,  built,  by  Roosevelt  &  Joyce, 
of  New  York,  303'x43'x23' ;  one  vertical  beam  engine,  having 
a  cylinder  of  100  inches  diameter  by  12  feet  stroke,  constructed 
by  the  Etna  Iron  Works,  John  Roach,  at  New  York. 

"Colon,"  1872.— Hull,  built  by  John  Roach  &  Sons,  282'x 
40'x30'6;  one  compound  engine  built  by  John  Elder  Co.,  at 
Glasgow,  Scotland,  with  cylinders  of  50  inches  and  86  inches 
by  42  inches  stroke;  working  steam  pressure,  60  Ibs.;  pro- 
peller, 16  feet  3  inches  diameter. 

"George  W.  Clyde,"  1872.— Hull,  built  by  William  Cramp 
&  Sons'  S,  &  E.  B.  Co.,  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  206'x35'xl9';  one 
compound  engine,  with  cylinders  of  24  inches  and  38  inches  by 
36  inches  stroke, 


488  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

"City  of  Peking"  and  "City  of  Tokio,"  1874.— Hulls,  built 
by  Delaware  River  Iron  Shipbuilding  and  Engine  Works — 
John  Roach  &  Sons— at  Chester,  Pa.,  423'x47'4x38i/2';  two  com- 
pound  engines  in  each,  having  cylinders  51  inches  and  88  inches 
diameter  by  54  inches  stroke,  worked  under  an  initial  steam 
pressure  of  60  Ibs.;  propeller,  20  feet  3  inches  diameter. 

"Columbus,"  1874. — Hull  and  machinery  built  by  William 
Cramp  Ship  and  Engine  Building  Co.,  at  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Hull,  276'x35'x24';  one  compound  engine,  with  cylinders  of 
34  inches  and  56  inches  by  42  inches  stroke. 

"Hudson,"  1874. — Hull  and  machinery  built  by  the  Pusey 
&  Jones  Company,  at  Wilmington,  Del.  Hull,  280'x34'x25'9 ; 
one  inverted  simple-condensing  engine,  48  inches  cylinder  by 
72  inches  stroke  of  piston. 

"Lone  Star"  x  "Brashear"  and  "New  York,"  1875;  "Algiers" 
and  "Morgan  City,"  1876. — Hull  and  machinery  built  by  the 
Harlan  &  Hollingsworth  Co.  Hull,  275'x38'4x22'9 ;  one  ver- 
tical direct-acting  surface  condensing  engine,  with  a  cylinder 
of  50  inches  diameter  and  60  inches  stroke,  worked  under  a 
steam  pressure  of  60  Ibs.;  fuel,  24  tons  per  day;  propeller,  13 
feet  diameter. 

"Rio  Grande,"  1876. — Hull  and  machinery  built  by  Dela- 
ware River  I.  S.  &  E.  Works.  Hull,  289'6x38'7x22'6 ;  one  com- 
pound engine,  with  cylinders  of  34  inches  and  60  inches  by 
54  inches  stroke. 

"Saratoga,"  1877. — Hull  and  machinery  built  by  Delaware 
River  I.  S.  &  E.  Works.  Hull,  272'x38'x24' ;  one  compound 
engine,  with  cylinders  of  34  inches  and  60  inches  by  54  inches 
stroke,  operated  under  a  pressure  of  80  Ibs.;  propeller,  14  feet 
3  inches  diameter. 

"City  of  Washington,"  1877. — Hull  and  machinery  con- 
structed by  John  Roach  &  Sons,  at  Chester,  Pa.,  Delaware 
River  I.  S.  &  E.  Works.  Hull,  300'x38'x27' ;  one  compound 
engine,  with  cylinders  of  40  inches  and  74  inches  by  72  inches 
stroke.  Subsequently  a  triple-expansion  engine  was  placed  in 
the  vessel,  having  cylinders  of  24  inches,  38  inches  and  63 
inches  by  60  inches  stroke  of  piston ;  propeller,  16  feet 
diameter. 

"City  of  Rio  Janeiro"  and  "City  of  Para,"  1878.— Hull  and 
machinery  built  by  John  Roach  &  Sons,  at  Chester,  Pa., 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  489 

345'10x38'6x30'4;  one  compound  engine,  having  cylinders  of 
42i/o  inches  and  74  inches  by  60  inches  stroke;  subsequently 
a  triple-expansion  engine,  having  cylinders  of  28  inches,  44 
inches  and  70  inches  by  48  inches  stroke,  was  placed  in  each 
vessel;  propeller,  16  feet  4  inches  diameter. 

"City  of  Alexandria,"  1879. — Hull  and  machinery  con- 
structed by  John  Roach  &  Son,  at  Chester,  Pa.,  333'x38'6x25'; 
one  compound  engine,  having  cylinders  of  42  inches  and  78 
inches  by  54  inches  stroke;  propeller,  16  feet  diameter. 

"City  of  Augusta,"  1880. — Hull  and  machinery  built  by 
John  Koach  &  Sons,  at  Chester,  Pa.,  323'x40'x25'9 ;  one  com- 
pound engine,  with  cylinders  42  inches  and  82  inches  by  54 
inches  stroke.  At  a  later  date  a  triple-expansion  was  fitted 
in  the  vessel  in  place  of  the  compound  engine,  having  cylinders 
of  22  inches  and  41  inches  and  72  inches  by  54  inches  stroke. 

"Louisiana,"  1880. — Hull,  constructed  by  John  Roach  & 
Sons,  at  Chester,  Pa.,  324'x39'x26' ;  one  pair  of  vertical  beam 
compound  propeller  engines,  set  athwartships,  the  crank  being 
connected  to  the  beam  by  a  rod  that  was  fastened  to  a  "horn" 
forged  on  the  underside  of  the  beam  strap.  The  high-pressure 
cylinder  was  30  inches  diameter  by  7  feet  3  inches  stroke,  and 
rhe  low-pressure  cylinder  56  inches  diameter  by  6  feet  stroke. 
There  were  eight  tubular  boilers,  each  12  feet  2  inches  in 
length  and  8  feet  6  inches  diameter,  with  3-inch  tubes  10  feet 
long,  of  John  Baird's  patent.  These  boilers  were  at  first 
connected  by  iron  water  spaces  6  inches  wide,  but  after  a  few 
years'  use  these  water  spaces  were  partially  removed  and  fire- 
brick built  up  the  height  of  removed  water  spaces.  These 
boilers  did  not  prove  to  be  as  economical  in  fuel  as  the 
ordinary  marine  boilers.  A  few  years  since  this  pair  of  com- 
pound engines  were  removed  and  a  triple-expansion  engine 
substituted  in  their  place,  having  cylinders  of  24  inches  and 
39  inches  and  64  inches  by  45  inches  stroke. 

"City  of  Puebla,"  1881.— Hull  and  machinery  built  by  The 
AYilliam  Cramp  &  Sons  S.  &  E.  B.  Co.,  319'x38'6x26'3;  one 
compound  engine,  with  cylinders  of  43  inches  and  86  inches  by 
60  inches  stroke. 

"Lampasas,"  1883. — Hull  and  machinery  built  by  John 
Roach  &  Sons,  at  Chester,  Pa.,  329'x40'5x21'5 ;  one  triple-ex- 


490  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

pansion  engine,  with  cylinders  of  23  inches  and  37%  inches  and 
61%  inches  by  39  inches  stroke. 

"Olivette,"  1887. — Hull  and  machinery  constructed  by  The 
William  Cramp  &  Sons  S.  &  E.  B.  Co.,  280'x35'xl9' ;  one  triple- 
expansion  engine,  with  cylinders  of  23  inches  and  36  inches 
and  60  inches  by  36  inches  stroke. 

"City  of  Birmingham,"  1888. — Hull  and  machinery  con- 
structed by  John  Koach  &  Sons,  at  Chester,  Pa.,  300'x42'x26'9 ; 
one  triple-expansion  engine,  having  cylinders  of  24  inches  and 
38  inches  and  63  inches,  and  45  inches  stroke. 

"Kansas  City,"  1889. — Hull  and  machinery  built  by  Dela- 
ware Kiver  I.  S.  B.  &  E.  Works,  at  Chester,  Pa.,  327'x45'xl8'8 ; 
one  triple-expansion  engine,  with  cylinders  of  33  inches  and 
54  inches  and  86  inches  by  54  inches  stroke. 

"Sabine"  x  "Leona,"  1889.— Hull  and  machinery  built  by 
Delaware  River  I.  S.  B.  &  E.  Works,  at  Chester,  Pa.,  314'x 
46'2x20'3;  one  triple-expansion  engine,  with  cylinders  of  28 
inches  and  44  inches  and  70  inches  by  48  inches  stroke. 

"Algonquin,"  1890. — Hull  and  machinery  constructed  by 
William  Cramp  &  Sons  S.  E.  B.  Co.,  276'x43'xl9';  one  triple- 
expansion  engine,  with  cylinders  of  21  inches  and  34  inches 
and  56  inches  by  36  inches  stroke. 

"El  Sol,"  1890. — Hull  and  machinery  constructed  by  New- 
port News  Shipbuilding  and  Dry  Dock  Co.,  390'6x46'8x24';  one 
triple-expansion  engine,  having  cylinders  32  inches  and  52 
inches  and  84  inches  by  54  inches  stroke. 

"El  Bio"  and  "El  Sud,"  1892.— Hull  and  machinery  con- 
structed by  Newport  News  Shipbuilding  and  Dry  Dock  Co., 
380'x48'x23'10 ;  one  triple-expansion  engine,  with  cylinders 
32  inches  and  52  inches  and  84  inches  by  54  inches  stroke; 
propeller,  18  feet  diameter. 

"Jamestown,"  1894. — Hull  and  machinery  built  by  Dela- 
ware Biver  I.  S.  B.  &  E.  Works,  300'x40'x26'9 ;  one  triple-expan- 
sion engine,  28  inches  and  44  inches  and  73  inches  diameter  of 
cylinders  by  54  inches  stroke. 

"Coinanche,"  1895. — Hull  and  machinery  built  by  William 
Cramp  &  Sons  S.  &  E.  B.  Co.,  300'x46'x26'3 ;  one  quadruple- 
expansion  engine,  having  cylinders  of  24%  inches  and  34% 
inches  and  49%  inches  and  70  inches  by  36  inches  stroke. 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  491 

"Havana,"  1898;  "Mexico,"  1899.— Hull  and  machinery 
constructed  by  William  Cramp  &  Sons  S.  &  E.  B.  Co.,  360'x 
50'x32'2;  twin  screw,  two  triple-expansion  engines,  each  with 
cylinders  of  25  inches  and  411/.  inches  and  68  inches  by  42 
inches  stroke. 

"El  Cid"  and  "El  Rio,"  1899.— Hull  and  machinery  con- 
structed by  Newport  News  Shipbuilding  &  Dry  Dock  Co., 
379'7x48'x26' ;  one  triple-expansion  engine,  with  cylinders  of 
32  inches  and  52  inches  and  84  inches  by  54  inches  stroke. 

"Jefferson"  and  "Hamilton,"  1899. — Hull  and  machinery 
built  by  Delaware  River  I.  S.  B.  &  E.  Works,  304'x42'x27';  one 
triple-expansion  engine,  with  cylinders  of  27  inches  and  44% 
inches  and  73  inches  by  54  inches  stroke. 

"Morro  Castle,"  1900.—-Hull  and  machinery  built  by  Will- 
iam Cramp  &  Sons  S.  &  E.  B.  Co.;  twin  screw;  400'x50'x25'9 ; 
two  four-cylinder  triple-expansion  engines,  each  having  cylin- 
ders of  32  inches  and  52  inches  and  60  inches  and  60  inches  by 
42  inches  stroke;  propellers,  3  blades,  14  feet  diameter  and 
22  feet  6  inches  pitch. 

"Comus,"  1900. — Hull  and  machinery  constructed  by  New- 
port News  Shipbuilding  &  Dry  Dock  Co.,  379'x48'x27'6 ;  one 
triple-expansion  engine,  having  cylinders  of  32  inches  and  52 
inches  and  84  inches  by  54  inches  stroke. 

"Proteus,"  1900. — Hull  and  machinery  built  by  Newport 
News  Shipbuilding  &  Dry  Dock  Co.,  379'7x48'x29'9 ;  one  triple- 
expansion  engine,  with  cylinders  of  32  inches  and  52  inches 
and  84  inches  by  54  inches  stroke. 

DISASTERS  TO  COASTWISE  STEAMSHIPS. 

"Ariadne." — New  York  to  New  Orleans,  Stranded  off  Devil 
Hill,  on  coast  of  North  Carolina,  February  7th,  1873,  and 
became  a  total  loss;  thick  fog  and  high  winds  prevailing 
at  the  time. 

"Allentown." — Foundered  during  a  gale  in  Massachusetts  Bay, 
November  25th,  1888,  with  a  loss  of  all  her  officers  and 
crew  of  18  men. 

"Bienville." — New  York  to  New  Orleans.  Took  fire  when  at 
sea  near  Watlings  Island,  on  August  15th,  1872,  totally 
destroying  the  vessel  with  a  loss  of  41  lives. 


4:92  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

"City  of  Waco." — Mallory's  New  York  and  Galveston  line. 
While  lying  off  the  bar  at  Galveston,  Texas,  November 
8th,  1875,  was  found  to  be  on  fire,  but  on  account  of  the 
high  sea  prevailing  at  the  time  no  assistance  could  be 
rendered.  There  wTere  17  passengers  and  a  crew  of  32 
men,  all  of  whom  were  lost.  Total  loss  of  vessel  and 
cargo,  |597,000. 

"City  of  Galveston." — Mallory  &  Co.'s  line.  While  on  a  voyage 
from  Hay ti  to  New  York,  was  lost  on  the  island  of  Marra- 
guana,  on  February  4th,  1870.  The  vessel,  valued  at 
$125,000,  was  a  total  loss. 

"City  of  Alexandria."— New  York  &  Cuba  Mail  S.  S.  Co.  On 
November  1st,  1893,  an  explosion  took  place  in  its  cargo 
of  rum  and  alcohol,  the  vessel  becoming  a  total  loss  after 
being  beached  13  miles  east  of  Havana,  Cuba.  There  were 
5  men  drowned.  When  the  explosion  took  place  the  vessel 
was  about  30  miles  from  Havana. 

"Central  America." — New  York  and  Chagres.  Foundered  in 
a  severe  gale  while  on  a  passage  to  New  York  via  Havana, 
.on  September  12th,  1857,  and  about  423  lives  were  lost. 

"City  of  Savannah." — Boston  to  Savannah.  Foundered  off 
Hunting  Island,  S.  C.,  in  a  hurricane,  August  28th,  1893. 
Vessel  total  loss;  no  lives  lost. 

"City  of  Merida." — Alexandre's  line.  Destroyed  by  fire  in  the 
harbor  of  Havana,  Cuba,  September  4th,  1884.  No  lives 
lost,  nor  any  persons  injured. 

"City  of  Columbus."— Boston  to  Savannah,  January  18th,  1884, 
went  into  the  Devils  Bridge  rocks,  near  Gay  Head,  and 
became  a  total  loss.  With  87  passengers  and  a  crew  of 
45  persons,  there  was  a  loss  of  75  passengers  and  28  of 
the  crew. 

"City  of  New  York." — Alexandre's  line.  Took  fire  from  some 
unknown  cause  while  lying  at  Roberts'  pier,  Brooklyn,  on 
June  23d,  1880,  and  was  towed  from  there  into  the  stream, 
and  after  burning  for  eleven  hours  the  hulk  sank  in  the 
river. 

"City  of  Vera  Cruz." — Left  New  York  bound  for  Havana,  on 
August  25th,  1880.  On  the  28th,  encountered  a  heavy 
squall,  which  increased  so  that  by  3  p.  m.,  in  a  heavy  sea, 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  493 

the  captain  and  a  number  of  the  officers  and  crew  were 
washed  overboard,  and  at  5  o'clock  the  vessel  went  down 
off  Mosquito  Inlet,  Fla.  By  this  disaster  26  passengers 
and  42  of  the  crew  were  lost.  The  only  officer  saved  was 
Charles  Smith,  second  assistant  engineer. 

"Cleopatra." — Went  ashore  on  October  23d,  1878,  while  enter- 
ing Nassau  Harbor,  N.  P.,  in  charge  of  a  pilot.  Was  so 
badly  damaged  that  she  was  abandoned  in  March,  1879. 

"Chesapeake." — While  on  a  trip  from  Portland,  Me.,  to  New 
York,  on  April  27th.  1881,  stranded  on  the  south  side  of 
Fisher's  Island,  in  Long  Island  Sound,  in  a  thick  fog,  and 
became  a  total  loss. 

"Croatan." — New  York  to  Wilmington,  N.  C.,  November  1st, 
1898.  Fire  was  discovered  in  the  cargo  that  the  crew  of 
the  vessel  were  unable  to  control,  and  the  vessel  was 
abandoned.  Loss  of  4  of  the  crew  and  one  passenger. 

"City  oi  Houston." — Foundered  at  sea  off  Frying  Pan  Shoals, 
on  October  23d,  1878,  and  was  a  total  loss.  All  the  pas- 
sengers and  crew  were  landed  at  Fernandina,  Fla. 

"Cherokee." — New  York  and  New  Orleans.  Burned  at  her 
wharf  at  New  York,  August  26th,  1853.  No  lives  lost. 

"Crescent  City." — Wrecked  on  a  reef  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

"Creole." — Was  wrecked  on  the  New  Jersey  coast,  March  17th, 
1868,  on  a  trip  from  Havana,  during  a  thick  fog. 

"Delaware."— New  York  and  Charleston,  S.  C.  July  8th,  1898, 
tire  was  discovered  in  the  cargo  first  night  out;  efforts 
were  made  to  control  the  blaze,  but  proved  unavailing, 
and  the  vessel  was  abandoned.  Passengers  were  taken  to 
New  York  by  tug  "Ocean  King,"  and  the  crew  took  to 
their  boats.  No  one  injured. 

"Eagle." — New  York  to  Havana.  Went  ashore  on  Body  Island, 
North  Carolina,  March  4th,  1870,  and  became  a  total  loss 
during  heavy  weather  on  the  coast. 

"Evening  Star." — New  York  and  New  Orleans  line.  Was  lost 
in  a  cyclone  about  100  miles  to  the  eastward  of  Tybee 
Island,  on  October  3d,  1866,  Over  a  hundred  lives  lost 


494  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

"Erie." — Rio  Janeiro  to  New  York.  Took  fire  on  January  1st, 
1873  when  off  Parahaba,  90  miles  north  of  Pernambuco, 
and  was  totally  destroyed.  No  lives  lost. 

"Emily  B.  Souder." — Foundered  at  sea  December  10th,  1878, 
and  was  a  total  loss.  There  were  37  lives  lost — nine  pas- 
sengers and  28  of  the  crew. 

''George  Cromwell." — New  York  and  St.  Johns,  N.  F.  Struck 
on  keys  off  Cape  St.  Mary,  N.  F.,  January  5th,  1877,  and 
became  a  total  wreck.  All  on  board  were  lost,  consisting 
of  23  crew  and  7  passengers.  Supposed  causes  of  disaster, 
currents,  fog  and  snow. 

"George  Washington." — Struck  the  rocks  near  French  Mis- 
taken Point,  N.  F.,  January  20th,  1877,  and  became  a  total 
wreck.  All  on  board  were  lost,  23  crew  and  2  passengers. 
Causes  supposed  to  be  the  same  as  in  case  of  "George 
Cromwell." 

"General  J.  K.  Barnes." — Foundered  at  sea  off  Cape  Hatteras 
from  a  leak  during  a  heavy  storm,  on  October  23d,  1878. 
Crew  taken  off  by  a  schooner  and  landed  at  Charleston, 
S.  C. 

"Guadeloupe." — Stranded  on  Barnegat  Shoals,  November  19th, 
1884.  No  lives  lost.  Mallory's  New  York  and  Galveston 
line. 

"Georgia." — While  on  a  voyage  from  New  York  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, June  23,  1876,  when  passing  through  the  Straits  of 
Magellan,  went  ashore  on  the  outer  point  of  Rocky  Point, 
during  a  dense  fog. 

"George  Appold." — While  on  a  passage  from  Providence,  R.  I., 
to  Newport  News,  Va.,  January  9th,  1889,  stranded  upon 
Montauk  Point  and  became  a  total  loss. 

"Huntsville." — Burned  at  sea  December  19th,  1877,  when  about 
10  miles  southeast  of  Little  Egg  Harbor  light.  Officers 
and  crew  picked  up  by  pilot  boat  "Washington." 

"Isaac  Bell." — Was  burned  while  lying  at  her  wharf  at  Norfolk, 
Va.,  receiving  cargo,  on  October  2d,  1880.  Loss,  $200,000. 

"John  Hopkins." — Destroyed  by  fire  in  Baltimore  harbor,  May 
28th,  1889. 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  495 

"Knoxville." — Burned  at  her  wharf  in  New  York,  on  December 
22d,  1856,  and  became  a  total  loss. 

"Leo." — Burned  at  sea  April  13th,  1877,  and  became  a  total 
loss.  Loss  of  20  of  the  crew  and  3  passengers. 

"Montgomery." — Lost  by  collision  on  January  7th,  1877,  off  the 
capes  of  the  Delaware,  with  s.  s.  "Seminole."  There  were 
13  lives  of  the  crew  and  4  passengers  lost. 

"Morro  Castle." — Burned  at  her  wharf  at  Charleston,  S.  C., 
March  6th,  1883. 

"Merrimac."— From  Halifax  to  Boston.  On  July  10th,  1887, 
during  foggy  weather,  struck  a  ledge  near  Little  Hope 
Island,  Nova  Scotia,  and  became  a  total  wreck. 

"Metropolis." — On  January  31st,  1878,  was  wrecked  on  Curri- 
tuck  Beach,  North  Carolina,  with  a  loss  of  90  lives.  The 
vessel  encountered  a  heavy  northeast  gale  while  on  her 
way  from  Philadelphia.  Pa.,  to  South  America, 

"Missouri." — New  York  to  Havana.  When  25  miles  northeast 
of  the  Island  of  Abaco,  Bahamas,  on  October  22d,  1872, 
took  fire  and  was  totally  destroyed,  by  which  69  persons 
lost  their  lives. 

"Mariposa."— New  Orleans  to  New  York.  Sailed  October  5th, 
1870,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  lost  about  9th  of  same 
month  on  east  coast  of  Florida.  No  passengers  on  board 
at  time  of  disaster.  The  crew  of  35  persons  were  never 
heard  from  afterwards. 

"Matanzas." — New  Orleans  to  New  York.  Was  burned  at  sea 
November  15th,  1868. 

"Mississippi." — Was  wrecked  on  Great  Pensacola  Shoal  on 
May  12th,  1869,  while  on  a  voyage  from  Bio  Janeiro  to 
New  York. 

"Patapsco." — New  York  to  Savannah.  Burned  at  sea  Septem- 
ber 12th,  1868. 

"Portland." — Boston  to  Portland,  Me.  Foundered  during  a 
heavy  northeast  gale  November  27th,  1898,  in  vicinity  of 
Cape  Cod,  where  127  lives  were  lost — 60  passengers  and 
67  of  the  crew.  None  were  left  to  tell  the  tale. 


496  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LIITES. 

"Reliance." — New  York  and  Brazil  line.  Was  wrecked  outside 
the  harbor  of  Bahia,  Brazil,  on  April  12th,  1884,  when  on 
a  voyage  from  Rio  Janeiro  to  New  York,  and  became  a 
total  loss.  No  lives  lost.  Part  of  the  cargo  saved. 

"Regulator." — Burned  at  her  wharf  at  Wilmington,  N.  C., 
October  19th,  1887. 

"Rebecca  Clyde." — Baltimore  to  Charleston,  S.  C.  Was  driven 
ashore  on  September  17th,  1876,  off  Portsmouth  Island, 
and  went  to  pieces.  There  were  twelve  persons  lost  their 
lives,  including  the  officers  of  the  vessel. 

"Raleigh." — Was  burned  at  sea,  December  24th,  1867,  where  14 
of  the  passengers  and  10  of  the  crew  lost  their  lives. 

"San  Jacinto." — Wras  wrecked  on  Body  Island,  North  Carolina, 
on  August  9th,  1869,  when  on  a  voyage  from  New  York 
to  Savannah,  Ga. 

"Star  of  the  Union." — Wras  wrecked  on  Colorado  Reef,  off  the 
Island  of  Cuba,  November  13th,  1868. 

"St.  Louis." — New  Orleans  to  Newr  York.  Sprung  a  leak  and 
foundered  December  9th,  1872.  No  lives  lost.  Supposed 
to  have  struck  the  wreck  of  a  sunken  vessel  shortly  after 
leaving  New  Orleans. 

"Sherman." — Merchants'  line,  New  York  to  New  Orleans. 
When  about  20  miles  from  Cape  Fear  light  foundered,  on 
January  10th,  1874. 

"Saragossa." — Foundered  at  sea  about  200  miles  east  of  Cape 
Canaveral,  March  23d,  1887.  Sprung  a  leak  during  a  heavy 
gale.  Officers  and  crew  were  taken  from  their  lifeboats  on 
board  an  English  bark  and  landed  at  Bermuda. 

"Tropic." — Lost  on  Bird  Rock  Reef,  West  Indies,  on  June 
28th,  1883,  while  on  a  voyage  from  Philadelphia  to  Port 
Antonio. 

"Vicksburg." — Struck  on  Fire  Island,  Long  Island,  during  a 
thick  fog,  on  February  25th,  1875,  while  on  a  trip  from 
Port  Royal,  S.  C.,  to  New  York,  and  became  a  total  loss. 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  497 

RECOKD  TIME   OF  COASTWISE   STEAMSHIPS. 


NEW  YORK  TO  NEW  ORLEANS. 

Prior  1o  1865  most  all  the  steamships  to  or  from  New 
York  and  New  Orleans  stopped  at  Havana,  Cuba. 

1865.    May  31st,  "Guiding  Star,"  from  Southwest  Pass  to  New 

York,  5  days  13  hours. 
July  1st.  "Guiding  Star,"  from  Southwest  Pass  to  New 

York,  5  days  10  hours. 
July  28th,  "Guiding  Star,"  from  dock  to  dock  at  New 

York,  5  days  10  hours. 
July  28th,  "George  Washington,"  from  dock  to  dock 

at  New  York,  5  days  20  hours. 

1868.  June  27th,  "Crescent  City,"  from  Southwest  Pass  to  dock 
at  New  York,  6  days  4  hours  and  30  minutes. 

.1873.  December  13th,  "Knickerbocker,"  from  Sandy  Hook  to 
Southwest  Pass,  6  days  3  hours. 

1874.  February  7th,  "Knickerbocker,"  from  Sandy  Hook  to 

Southwest  Pass,  5  days  20  hours  and  40  minutes. 

May  17th,  "Knickerbocker,"  from  bar  to  bar  at  New 
York,  5  days  6  hours  and  40  minutes. 

November  7th,  "Hudson,"  from  bar  to  bar  at  New  Or- 
leans, 5  days  19  hours  and  15  minutes. 

1875.  July  14th,  "Hudson,"  from  Southwest  Pass  to  dock  at 

New  York,  5  days  9  hours. 

August  7th,  "Hudson,"  from  dock  to  dock  at  New  York, 
5  days  4  hours;  bar  to  bar,  4  days  22  hours. 

1876.  July  18th.  "Knickerbocker,"  Southwest  Pass  to  New 

New  York,  5  days  12  hours  30  minutes. 

1880.  February,  "Chalmette,"  from  Sandy  Hook  to  dock  at 
New  Orleans,  6  days  7  hours  and  10  minutes. 

May  23d,  "Louisiana,"  from  bar  to  New  York,  5  days  5 
hours  and  30  minutes. 

July  12th,  "Louisiana,"  from  dock  to  dock  at  New  York, 
4  days  19  hours  and  36  minutes. 

July  23d,  "Louisiana,"  from  dock  to  dock  at  New  Or- 
leans, 5  days  17  hours  and  30  minutes. 


498  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

1884.  June  21st.  "Excelsior,"  bar  to  bar  at  New  Orleans,  5  days 

14  hours  and  30  minutes. 
July  25th,  "Louisiana,"  dock  to  dock  at  New  Orleans, 

5  days  11  hours;  bar  to  bar,  5  days  3  hours. 
August  16th,  "Louisiana,"  dock  to  dock  at  New  Orleans, 

5  days  10  hours  and  45  minutes. 
November  10th,  "Eldorado,"  bar  to  Southwest  Pass,  or 

bar,  5  days  and  9  hours. 

1885.  December  23d,  "Eldorado,"  dock  to  dock  at  New  Orleans, 

5  days  6  hours  and  55  minutes. 

December  31st,  "Eureka,"  dock  to  dock  at  New  Orleans, 
5  days  and  1  hour;  bar  to  bar,  4  days  17  hours 
and  30  minutes. 

1893.    August,  "El  Cid,"  bar  to  bar  at  New  York,  4  days  2  hours 

and  15  minutes. 
August,  "El  Norte,"  bar  to  bar  at  New  York,  4  days  2 

hours  and  10  minutes. 
August,  "El  Sol,"  bar  to  bar  at  New  York,  4  days  2  hours 

and  21  minutes. 

1897.    July,  "El  Eio,"  bar  to  bar  at  New  York,  3  days  23  hours 

and  37  minutes. 
July,  "Creole,"  bar  to  bar  at  New  York,  4  days  2  hours 

and  25  minutes. 
August,  "El  Eio,"  bar  to  bar  at  New  York,  3  days  20 

hours  and  37  minutes. 
August,  "El  Rio,"  bar  to  bar  at  New  York,  4  days  and 

4  hours. 

1899.  January,  "Louisiana,"  bar  to  bar  at  New  Orleans,  4  days 

and  17  hours. 

1900.  June,  "Proteus,"  dock  to  dock  at  New  Orleans,  4  days 

20  hours  and  30  minutes. 
August  5th,  "Proteus,"  dock  to  dock  at  New  York,  4  days 

5  hours  and  56  minutes. 

August  22d,  "Proteus,"  bar  to  bar,  New  Orleans  to  New 
York,  3  days  21  hours  and  10  minutes;  dock  to 
dock,  4  days  4  hours  and  28  minutes. 

1901.  December  12th,  "Proteus,"  New  York  to  New  Orleans, 

dock  to  dock,  4  days  16  hours  and  23  minutes. 


COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES.  499 

1902.   March  1st,  "Proteus,"  New  York  to  New  Orleans,  dock 
to  dock,  4  days  15  hours  and  25  minutes. 

HAVANA  AND   NEW  YORK. 

1856.  June  24th,  "Ocean  Bird,"  Havana  to  New  York,  4  days 

and  4  hours. 

1857.  June  10th,  "Black  Warrior,"  Havana  to  New  York,  4 

days  and  12  hours. 

1859.  July  5th,  "Quaker  City,"  Havana  to  New  York,  3  days 

and  14  hours. 

.     August  12th,  "Quaker  City,"  Havana  to  New  York,  3 
days  and  20  hours. 

1860.  March,  "Quaker  City,"  Havana  to  New  York,  3  days  and 

21  hours. 

1861.  April,  "Cahawba,"  Havana  to  New  York,  4  days  and  18 

hours. 

1865.  May  24th,  "Morro  Castle,"  Havana  to  New  York,  3  days 

and  23  hours. 
June  4th,  "Morro  Castle,"  New  York  to  Havana,  4  days 

and  7  hours. 
July  5th,  "Morro  Castle,"  Havana  to  New  York,  3  days 

and  15  hours. 

1866.  April  5th,  "Morro  Castle,"  Havana  to  New  York,  3  days 

and  15  hours. 
1 868.    May  14th,  "Eagle,"  Havana  to  New  York,  4  days. 

June  14th,  "Bienville,"  Havana  to  New  York,  4  days  and 

12  hours. 
1870.    May  6th,  "Bapidan,"  Havana  to  New  York,  4  days  and 

8  hours. 

1872.  "City  of  Merida,"  Havana  to  New  York,  3  days  11  hours 

and  30  minutes. 

1873.  February  5th,  "City  of  Havana,"  Havana  to  New  York, 

3  days  and  19  hours. 

February  28th,  "City  of  Merida,"  New  York  to  Havana, 

4  days  3  hours  and  30  minutes. 

1874.  May,  "Columbus,"  New  York  to  Havana,  bar  to  bar,  4 

days  1  hour  and  30  minutes. 

1879.    July,  "City  of  Washington,"  Havana  to  New  York,  3 
days  and  3  hours, 


500  COASTWISE    STEAMSHIP    LINES. 

1880.  January,  "City  of  Alexandria,"  Havana  to  New  York,  3 

days  7  hours  and  20  minutes. 
February,  "City  of  Washington,"  New  York  to  Havana, 

3  days  and  13  hours. 
April,  "Niagara,"  New  York  to  Havana,  3  days  23  hours 

and  30  minutes. 
May,  "Saratoga  1L,"  New  York  to  Havana,  3  days  and 

15  hours. 
June,  "Saratoga  IT.,"  Havana  to  New  York,  3  days  10 

hours  and  20  minutes. 

1881.  June,  "Newport,"  New  York  to  Havana,  bar  to  bar,  3 

days  12  hours  and  15  minutes. 

1883.    January  12th,  "City  of  Puebla,"  Havana  to  New  York, 

3  days  and  3  hours. 

July  5th,  "City  of  Puebla,"  Havana  to  New  York,  2  days 
23  hours  and  39  minutes. 

1885.    "City  of  Puebla,"  Havana  to  New  York,  2  days  22  hours 
and  20  minutes. 

1899.  June  3d,  "Havana,"  Havana  to  New  York,  bar  to  bar, 

2  days  15  hours  and  50  minutes. 
July  8th,  "Mexico,"  Havana  to  New  York,  bar  to  bar, 

2  days  15  hours  and  40  minutes. 

1900.  August,  "Havana,"  Havana  to  New  York,  bar  to  bar,  2 

days  15  hours  and  35  minutes. 

December  1st,  "Morro  Castle,"  Havana  to  New  York,  bar 
to  bar,  2  days  14  hours  and  32  minutes. 

1901.  March  2d,  "Morro  Castle,"  New  York  to  Havana,  bar  to 

bar,  3  days  and  1  hour. 
April  6th,  "Mexico,"  New  York  to  Havana,  bar  to  bar, 

3  days  3  hours  and  40  minutes. 

June  29th,  "Morro  Castle,"  Havana  to  New  York,  bar  to 

bar,  2  days  13  hours  41  minutes. 
July  20,  "Mexico,"  Havana  to  New  York,  bar  to  bar,  2 

days  and  17  hours. 
July  24th,  "Havana,"  New  York  to  Havana,  bar  to  bar, 

3  days  11  hours  and  13  minutes. 
August  6th,  "Monterey,"  Havana  to  New  York,  bar  to 

bar,  2  days  19  hours  and  26  minutes. 


COASTWISE   STEAMSHIP   LINES.  501 

1901.    August  13th,  "Havana,"  Havana  to  New  York,  bar  to 

bar,  2  days  17  hours  and  3  minutes. 
August  24th,  "Mexico,"  New  York  to  Havana,  bar  to  bar, 

3  days  11  hours  and  10  minutes. 
August  27th,  "Esperanza,"  Havana  to  New  York,  bar  to 

bar,  2  days  23  hours  and  4  minutes. 
October  30th,  "Esperanza,"  New  York  to  Havana,  bar  to 

bar,  3  days  10  hours  and  57  minutes. 
November  6th,  "Monterey,"  New  York  to  Havana,  bar  to 

bar,  3  days  12  hours  and  55  minutes. 

1903.  July  7th,  "Morro  Castle,"  Havana  to  New  York,  dock  to 
dock,  2  days  20  hours;  bar  to  bar,  2  days  17  hours 
and  11  minutes. 


NEW  YORK  AND  SAVANNAH,  GA. 

1856.    May,  "Knoxville,"  to  New  York,  2  days  13  hours. 
June,  "Knoxville,"  to  New  York,  2  days  10  hours. 

lsr>7.    November,  "Augusta,"  to  New  York,  2  days  8  hours  and 

30  minutes. 
December,  "Florida,"  to  New  York,  2  days  10  hours. 

1858.    February,  "Florida,"  to  New  York,  2  days  12  hours. 
J  une,  "Montgomery,"  to  New  York,  2  days  14  hours. 
June,  "Huntsville,"  to  New  York,  2  days  15  hours. 
June,  "Huntsville,"  to  New  York,  2  days  12  hours. 

1861.    February,  "R.  R.  Cuyler,"  to  New  York,  2  days  9  hours. 

3  865.    December,  "San  Jacinto,"  to  New  York,  2  days  20  hours. 
December,  "San   Salvador,"  to  New  York,  2  days  16 
hours. 

1866.    March,  "San  Jacinto,"  to  New  York,  2  days  17  hours. 

April,  "Herman  Livingston,"  to  New  York,  2  days  11 

hours. 
"City  of  Columbus,"  to  New  York,  1  day  23  hours  and  30 

minutes. 

"Kansas  City,"  to  New  York,  1  day  18  hours. 
"La  Grande  Dutchess,"  Lightship  to  Martins  Industry  Light 
Vessel,  1  day  14  hours  and  20  minutes. 


502  COASTWISE  STEAMSHIP  LINES. 

NEW  YORK  AND  CHARLESTON,  S.  C. 

1855.  March,  "Nashville,"  to  New  York,  bar  to  bar,  45  hours. 
October,  "Nashville,"  to  New  York,  56  hours. 

1856.  May,  "James  Adger,"  to  New  York,  50  hours. 
May,  "Nashville,"  to  New  York,  50  hours. 
June,  "Nashville,"  to  New  York,  49  hours." 
October,  "Nashville,"  to  New  York,  50  hours. 

1857.  October,  "James  Adger,"  to  New  York,. 52  hours. 
November,  "Columbia,''  to  New  York,  49  hours. 
December,  "Columbia,"  to  New  York,  50  hours. 
December,  "Nashville,"  to  New  York,  52  hours. 
December,  "Marion,"  to  New  York,  54  hours. 

1858.  January,  "Columbia,"  to  New  York,  49  hours. 
April,  "Columbia,"  to  New  York,  50  hours. 
June,  "Columbia,"  to  New  York,  47  hours. 
June,  "Columbia,"  to  New  York,  48  hours. 
August,  "Columbia,"  to  New  York,  48  hours. 

1865.  May,  "Granada,"  to  New  York,  67  hours. 

October,  "Emily  B.  Souder,"  to  New  York,  62  hours. 

1866.  April,  "Emily  B.  Souder,"  to  New  York,  60  hours. 
April,  "Emily  B.  Souder,"  to  New  York,  60  hours. 
April,  "Saragossa,"  to  New  York,  59  hours. 

May,  "Quaker  City,"  to  New  York,  58  hours. 
1  870.    January,  "Charleston,"  to  New  York,  50  hours. 

1874.  July,  "Manhattan,"  to  New  York,  55  hours. 

1875.  "South  Carolina,"  to  New  York,  52  hours. 

1876.  "Georgia,"  to  New  York,  54  hours. 

1896.    March,  "Comanche,"  bar  to  bar,  41  hours  30  minutes. 
1901.    April  28th,  "Comanche,"  dock  to  dock,  43  hours  and  13 

minutes. 

November,  "Comanche,"  dock  to  dock,  43  hours. 
The  other  propellers  of  the  present  Clyde  line  make  the 
voyage  in  52  hours,  average  time;   minimum,  48  hours. 

NEW  YORK  TO  GALVESTON,  TEXAS. 

1866.    February,  "Saragossa,"  New  York  to  Galveston,  8  days 

19  hours. 
1872.    "City  of  Houston,"  New  York  to  Galveston,  7  days  8 

hours  35  minutes. 


COASTWISE   STEAMSHIP  LINES.  503 

1874.    "City  of  Waco,"  Galveston  to  New  York,  6  days  18  hours 

40  minutes. 
1880.    June,  "Rio  Grande,"  Galveston  to  New  York,  5  days  19 

hours  30  minutes. 

1896.  January,  "Comal,"  New  York  to  Galveston,  5  days  20 

hours. 

1897.  July,  "Lampasas,"  Galveston  to  New  York,  5  days  8 

hours. 
1900.    July,  "Comal,"  Galveston  to  New  York,  5  days  9  hours. 

1902.  January,  "Denver,"  bar  to  bar,  Galveston  to  New  York, 

5  days  6  hours  45  minutes. 

August  20th,  "El  Alba,"  bar  to  bar,  Galveston  to  New 
York,  4  days  20  hours  38  minutes. 

August  20th,  "El  Alba,"  dock  to  dock,  Galveston  to  New 
York,  5  days  and  35  minutes. 

1903.  July  23d,  "Denver,"  bar  to  bar,  Galveston  to  New  York, 

4  days  23  hours  5  minutes. 

NEW  YORK  AND  ASPINWALL,  PANAMA. 

1852.   April,  "Illinois,"  Aspinwall  to  New  York,  7  days  8  hours 

and  40  minutes. 
May,  "Illinois,"  Aspinwall  to  New  York,  7  days  and  13 

hours. 
1855.    "George  Law,"  Aspinwall  to  New  York,  7  days  and  22 

hours. 
1858.    February,  "North  Star,"  Aspinwall  to  New  York,  7  days 

8  hours  and  30  minutes. 
1860.    "Baltic,"  Aspinwall  to  New  York,  6  days  and  21  hours. 

1865.  September  23d,  "New  York,"  Aspinwall  to  New  York, 

6  days  11  hours  and  30  minutes. 

1866.  "Santiago  de  Cuba,"  Aspinwall  to  New  York,  6  days  11 

hours  and  30  minutes. 
April,  "Henry  Chauncey,"  Aspinwall  to  New  York,  8 

days. 

"Arizona,"  Aspinwall  to  New  York,  7  days  and  15  hours. 
1868.    June,  "Ocean  Queen,"  Aspinwall  to  New  York,  7  days 

and  14  hours. 
June,  "Guiding  Star,"  Aspinwall  to  New  York,  7  days 

and  19  hours. 


504  CHARTERED   STEAM  VESSELS   DURING   CIVIL   WAR. 

1874.   July,  "City  of  Panama,"  Aspinwall  to  New  York,  8  days. 
September,  "Acapulco,"  Aspinwall  to  New  York,  7  days 

and  1.2  hours. 
1876.    July,  "Acapulco,"  Aspinwall  to  New  York,  7  days  and 

20  hours. 


CHARTERED  STEAM  VESSELS  DURING  CIVIL  WAR. 

A  few  of  the  larger  steamships  that  were  chartered  during 
the  Civil  War  by  the  Quartermasters'  Bureau  of  the  War  De- 
partment, with  the  rate  per  day,  that  included  everything 
furnished  by  the  owners  of  the  vessel,  excepting  coal.  Charters 
varied  from  a  few  weeks  to  several  months. 

"Alabama,"  1862,  $1,000  per  day.  "Arago,"  1863,  $1,200 
per  day;  1865,  $1,000  per  day.  "Ariel,"  1861,  $1,100  per  day; 
1865,  $800  per  day.  "Atlantic"  and  "Baltic,". each,  1861,  $1,500; 
1863,  $1,200;  1865,  $1,000  per  day.  "General  J.  K.  Barnes," 
1865,  $614  per  day.  "Blackstone,"  1863,  $550;  1865,  $450  per 
day.  "Cahawba,"  1861,  $600;  1862,  $800;  1863,  $650  per  day. 
"Champion,''  1865,  $400  to  $600  per  day.  "Coatzcoalcos,"  1861, 
$1,200;  1862,  $1,400  per  day.  "Columbia,"  1861,  $1,000  per  day. 
"Constitution,"  1862,  $2,500  per  day.  "Continental,"  1863,  $600 
per  day.  "Creole,"  1865,  $553  per  day.  "Ben  De  Ford,"  1861, 
$750  per  day.  "Empire  City,"  1861,  $1,000;  1863,  $800  per  day. 
"Ericcson,"  1862,  $1,200;  1864,  $750  per  day.  "Euterpe,"  1864, 
$370  per  day.  "Fulton,"  1862,  $1,500;  1865,  $1,200  per  day. 
"Illinois,"  1861,  $1,500;  1863,  $1,200;  $1864,  $1,000  per  day. 
"Liberty,"  1864,  $560  per  day.  "Herman  Livingston,"  1865, 
$590  per  day.  "Marion,"  1861,  $1,000;  1862,  $800  per  day. 
"Matanzas,"  1862,  $800;  1865,  $400  per  day.  "Merrimac," 
1862,  $1,350;  1863,  $850  per  day;  "Mississippi,"  same  as  "Mer- 
rimac." "North  Star,"  1862,  $1,200;  1864,  $850  per  day. 
"Northern  Light,"  same  as  "North  Star."  "Ocean  Queen," 
1862,  $2,000  per  day.  "S.  R.  Spaulding,"  1861,  $650  per  day. 
"Star  of  the  West,"  1861,  $1,000  per  day.  "State  of  Georgia," 
1861,  $600  per  day.  "Suwo-Nada,"  1865,  $810  per  day.  "Thomas 
Swann,"  1861,  $300;  1864,  $200  per  day.  "United  States,"  1862, 
$1)00;  1864,  $600  per  day.  "Vanderbilt,"  1862,  $2,000  per  day. 
"Varuna,"  1865,  $300  per  day.  "Daniel  Webster,"  1861,  $900; 


OUTSIDE  BOUTE  FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  PHILADELPHIA.    505 

1865,  f  400  per  day.    "Western  Metropolis,"  1865,  $650  per  day. 
"Yazoo,"  1865,  $600  per  day. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  rate  per  day  for  these  vessels 
were  very  much  higher  in  1861,  the  year  the  war  commenced, 
than  they  were  later.  At  first  the  Navy  Department  purchased 
many  of  the  vessels  that  were  thought  suitable  for  blockading 
11  nd  other  purposes,  and  the  comparatively  few  that  were  left 
the  War  Department,  they  were  compelled  to  pay  high  rates 
for  charter  to  transport  the  war  material  and  supplies  to  the 
different  points  along  the  coast  where  the  armies  were  located. 
Many  merchant  vessels  were  built  during  the  first  two  years 
of  the  war,  and  during  the  remaining  period  of  the  conflict 
there  were  so  many  more  vessels  placed  at  the  service  of  the 
government  that  they  were  enabled  to  obtain  what  they  re- 
quired at  much  reduced  prices.  It  was  simply  a  question  of 
snpply  and  demand. 


OUTSIDE  ROUTE  FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  PHILA- 
DELPHIA, PA. 

The  first  outside  line  of  steam  vessels  from  New  York 
to  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  were  the  "Ocean"  and  the  "Ashland," 
built  by  the  Harlan  &  Hollingsworth  Co.,  in  1844,  two  iron-hull 
propellers,  98'x23'x9'4,  fitted  with  twin-screws  and  "Grasshop- 
per" engines,  for  Geo.  W.  Aspinwall,  of  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
These  vessels  were  similar  to  the  early  iron-hull  propellers 
built  for  the  Delaware  and  Raritan  Canal.  They  made  but  a 
few  trips  by  the  outside  route,  an  agreement  having  been 
made  with  the  Delaware  and  Raritan  Canal  Co.,  or  the  Camden 
and  Amboy  R.  R.  Co.,  the  controlling  factor  in  transportation 
between  New  York  and  Philadelphia  at  that  period.  They  then 
run  through  the  canal  to  Albany  and  Troy,  N.  Y.,  and  were 
subsequently  purchased  by  the  government  during  the  Mexi- 
can war  for  service  in  the  Gulf. 

The  next  attempt  to  open  a  line  on  the  outside  route  was 
made  by  the  steamboat  "John  Marshall,"  in  1847,  but  the 
business  could  not  have  proved  profitable,  as  but  a  few  trips 
were  made  by  the  vessel.  The  "John  Marshall"  was  200  feet 
long,  built  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  and  had  a  beam  engine  of  50 


OUTSIDE  ROUTE  FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  PHILADELPHIA.    507 

inches  by  11  feet  stroke.    She  was  for  many  years  at  a  later 
date  on  the  coast  of  Maine. 

The  only  successful  passenger  and  freight  line  on  the 
route  was  that  established  in  1850,  and  known  as  "Sanford's 
Independent  line."  For  a  short  time  at  first  they  had  the 
"William  J.  Pease,"  then  the  "Kennebec"  and  the  "Penobscot," 
from  the  coast  of  Maine,  were  on  the  route,  and  a  short  time 
after  the  "Boston"  and  the  "Delaware"  were  added,"  and  sub- 
sequently the  "Memenon  Sanford."  The  "Cosmopolitan"  was 
built  for  this  line  in  1861,  but  saw  little  if  any  service  there, 
as  the  vessel  was  taken  into  the  employ  of  the  government 
just  after  completion  as  a  transport.  The  proceeds  from 
her  charter,  that  lasted  for  about  fifteen  months,  was  over 
four  hundred  thousand  dollars.  She  was  afterwards  in  the 
merchant  service  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  some  years  ago 
was  brought  to  New  York  waters  and  has  been  mainly  engaged 
in  the  excursion  business.  She  is  now  known  as  the  "Edmund 
Butler,"  x  "Paul  Koch,"  x  "Havana."  These  vessels  were  of 
nearly  the  same  dimensions,  from  215  to  240  feet  long  by  27 
feet  by  10  feet  deep,  and  fitted  with  beam  engines  of  40  inches 
cylinders  to  44  inches  cylinders,  with  the  exception  of  the 
"Cosmopolitan,"  that  had  a  50-inch  cylinder,  all  with  a  11  feet 
stroke.  They  were  heavy -built  vessels  for  their  size,  and  were 
fitted  with  sponsons  under  the  guards  fore  and  aft  of  the 
water  wheels.  They  also  had  two  masts  and  sails,  similar  to 
1he  coast  of  Maine  steamers.  The  line  did  a  large  freight 
business,  but  the  passenger  travel  was  comparatively  small 
by  this  line.  Passenger  fare  from  New  York  to  Cape  May  and 
Philadelphia  was  two  dollars.  The  "Boston"  was  in  the  trans- 
port service  at  |600  per  day  for  18  months;  the  "Kennebec" 
for  over  three  years,  at  $300  per  day.  The  "Delaware"  was 
lost  while  in  the  transport  service  on  May  24th,  1865,  just 
inside  St.  Johns  bar,  on  the  coast  of  Florida,  during  a  heavy 
gale.  Her  hog  frames  being  badly  broken  and  the  hull 
seriously  strained,  so  she  became  almost  a  total  loss.  Most 
of  the  machinery  and  furniture  was  saved.  She  was  purchased 
by  the  War  Department,  April  13th,  1863,  for  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars,  and  the  remains  of  the  hull  sold,  in  June, 
1866,  for  one  hundred  and  five  dollars.  She  was  on  a  trip 
from  Hilton  Head  at  the  time  of  her  loss.  The  "Boston"  was 


508    OUTSIDE  ROUTE  FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  PHILADELPHIA. 

lost  May  25th,  1864,  in  one  of  the  small  rivers  around  Hilton 
Head,  South  Carolina,  while  carrying  troops  on  a  reconnoiter- 
iiig  expedition.  The  vessel  went  aground,  and  it  being  im- 
possible to  free  her,  she  was  set  on  fire  by  the  United  States 
troops  to  prevent  her  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  Confed- 
erates. The  "Kennebec"  was  destroyed  by  fire  April  9th, 
1870,  while  lying  at  Gloucester  Point,  Va.,  and  the  "Penobscot" 
was  lost  off  the  capes  of  the  Delaware  in  a  heavy  gale 
September  12th,  1857.  This  was  the  same  storm  in  which  the 
"Central  America/7  x  "George  Law,"  was  lost  while  on  the 
waj  north  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Prior  to  the  "Penobscot" 
being  lost  her  name  had  been  changed  to  "Norfolk." 

In  1866,  there  were  four  side-wheel  boats  of  253'x40'xl5' 
built  by  Jeremiah  Simonson  at  New  York,  that  were  con- 
tracted for  by  Capt.  Win.  P.  Williams,  in  the  interest,  it  was 
generally  credited  at  the  time,  of  one  of  the  large  owners  of 
steam  vessels  at  New  York  City,  and  intended  for  the  outside 
line  to  Philadelphia,  Pa.  This  route  they  never  covered,  for 
they  were  laid  up  before  the  completion  of  the  joiner  work 
at  Brooklyn  for  several  months,  when  they  were  sold.  Their 
names  were  "Grampus,"  subsequently  the  "Stonington,"  of 
the  Stonington  S.  S.  Co.;  "Manatus,"  subsequently  the  "Nar- 
ragansett,"  of  the  same  line;  and  the  "Walrus"  and  the 
"Nautilus."  The  engines  for  the  "Grampus"  and  the  "Nau- 
tilus" were  built  by  Fletcher  Harrison  &  Co.,  while  those 
for  the  "Manatus"  and  the  "Walrus"  were  constructed  by 
Delamater  Iron  Works,  from  the  same  patterns  as  used 
by  Fletcher  Harrison  &  Co.,  in  building  the  engines  for  the 
two  former  vessels,  that  the  engines  should  all  be  exactly 
alike.  They  were  originally  62-inch  cylinder  by  12  feet  stroke, 
but  the  two  Stonington-line  boats'  engines  were  enlarged, 
about  1872,  to  72"xl2'.  The  New  York  and  Philadelphia 
Steamboat  Co.  sold  the  two  boats  to  the  Stonington  Company 
hi  August,  1867,  and  the  "Nautilus"  and  the  "Walrus"  were 
sent,  in  the  latter  part  of  1868,  by  J.  M.  Forbes  &  Co.,  of 
Boston,  Mass.,  to  China,  where  they  run  for  about  seven  years, 
when  their  timbers  showed  such  evidence  of  weakness  from 
rot  that  the  engine  of  the  "Nautilus"  was  removed  and  sent 
to  England,  where  another  hull  was  constructed  of  iron, 
having  a  corrugated-shaped  bottom,  to  ensure  light  draft,  and 


OUTSIDE   ROUTE   FROM   NEW   YORK  TO   PHILADELPHIA.         509 

the  beam  engine  erected  in  the  iron  hull,  but  the  vessel  was 
lost  a  few  days  after  leaving  for  China  in  a  heavy  storm  on 
the  British  coast.  The  "Walrus"  did  not  last  much  longer 
than  the  "Nautilus." 

These  vessels  that  were  sent  to  China  waters  were  the 
last  of  a  large  fleet  of  American-built  steamers  that  had 
been  constructed  for  that  part  of  the  world,  with  their  excep- 
tion, and  at  a  time  when  the  people  of  the  outside  world  were 
very  much  excluded  from  the  Celestial  Empire.  There  were 
two  very  small  iron-hull  steamboats  sent  to  China  from  this 
country  in  the  early  '40s,  but  these  are  not  included  at  present. 
The  first  of  these  former  vessels  was  the  "Confucius,"  built  in 
1853,  by  Thomas  Collyer,  of  500  tons,  and  fitted  with  a  beam 
engine  by  H.  R.  Dunham  &  Co.,  of  50"xlO',  for  Russel  &  Co., 
of  New  York.  Her  time  from  New  York  to  Singapore  was 
140  days.  This  vessel  was  subsequently  purchased  by  the 
Chinese  government.  The  next  steamer  for  China  appears  to 
have  been  built  by  Samuel  Sneeden,  for  A.  A.  Low  &  Bro., 
in  1854,  and  named,  when  the  keel  was  laid,  "Yankee,"  but 
sailed  under  the  name  of  "River  Bird."  This  vessel  was 
185'x30'xl2',  with  a  beam  engine  by  Pease  &  Murphy,  or 
jjFulton  Iron  Works,  of  40"xlO'.  It  will  be  noticed  this  vessel 
had  more  beam  than  Thomas  Collyer's  vessels  for  the  same 
service.  The  "River  Bird"  was  intended  for  the  trade  from 
Hong-Kong  to  Canton.  She  sailed  on  February  5th,  1855, 
and  made  the  Cape  Verde  Islands  in  20  days.  The  same 
owners  sent  out  a  vessel  in  sections  at  a  later  date  that  was 
re-erected  in  China. 

In  1855,  R.  B.  Forbes,  of  Boston,  had  built  for  China 
parties  a  propeller  named  "Antelope,"  of  155'x27'xlO',  with  a 
pair  of  engines  30"x2(i",  constructed  by  Otis  Tufts,  of  Boston 
Mass.  The  vessel  left  this  country  in  July,  1855.  There 
was  one  of  the  Forbes  family  at  this  time  that  was  United 
States  Consul  at  one  of  the  China  ports. 

In  1857,  Thomas  Collyer  built  another  vessel  for  Russell 
&  Co.,  the  "Yang-Tsze,"  being  204  feet  long,  with  a  pair  of 
oscillating  engines,  that  proved  a  very  serviceable  vessel  for 
many  years  in  Chinese  waters,  and  of  considerable  speed.  She 
was  employed  in  the  opium  trade. 


510    OUTSIDE  ROUTE  FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  PHILADELPHIA. 

More  ports  of  China  were  opened  to  foreign  trade  in  1858, 
and  American  interests  in  the  Far  East  had  several  vessels 
built  for  the  local  China  business.  Most  of  these  early  river 
steamboats  were  used  to  bring  down  the  river  from  the 
interior  to  the  warehouses  at  the  treaty  ports  the  products 
that  were  shipped  by  sailing  vessels  to  the  United  States. 
It  was  at  this  time  there  was  such  a  rivalry  between  the 
American  and  English  steamers  in  the  same  trade.  This 
resulted  in  the  success  of  the  American  steamers,  they  being 
larger  carriers  and  more  serviceable  vessels,  with  a  smaller 
consumption  of  fuel  for  power. 

Thomas  Collyer  built  another  for  the  same  quarter  of  the 
globe,  in  1859,  named  "White  Cloud."  This  vessel  was  but 
179  feet  long,  and  driven  by  a  beam  engine  44"xlO'.  She 
made  the  run  from  New  York  to  Hong-Kong  in  94  days,  includ- 
ing stops,  leaving  the  former  city  March  2d,  1859.  During  the 
same  year  he  also  constructed  for  P.  S.  Forbes,  of  Kussel  &  Co., 
the  "Pei-Ho,"  being  about  20  feet  longer  than  the  "Yang-Tsze," 
but  with  a  single  oscillating  engine.  The  next  year  he  built 
the  "Fire  Dart,"  and  the  "Hankow,"  about  the  same  size  as 
those  larger  vessels  built  before. 

China  had  for  several  years  been  torn  by  internal  wars, 
and  to  protect  their  interests  in  that  Empire,  and  probably 
to  watch  one  another,  the  representative  foreign  nations  had 
to  have  a  naval  force  on  the  spot.  This  led,  in  a  way,  to  a 
treaty,  in  1863,  with  one  of  the  Powers,  that  threw  open  the 
coasting  trade  of  the  Empire  to  foreign  nations.  Then  there 
was  a  hustling  of  the  maritime  nations  to  secure  the  cream 
of  the  business. 

For  a  few  years  there  had  been  no  steamers  sent  to 
China  waters,  as  American  shipping  interests  had  at  that  time 
all  they  wanted  to  attend  to  at  home.  But  in  1863  the  "Po- 
Yung"  was  built  by  Roosevelt  &  Joyce,  and  by  Henry  Steers 
the  "Hu-Quang,"  the  largest  vessel  sent  to  China  up  to  that 
time,  being  270  feet  long,  with  a  beam  engine  of  76"xl2'.  He 
also  built  the  "Foh-Kien,"  that  was  still  larger,  and  having 
an  engine  from  the  "St.  Lawrence,"  on  Lake  Erie,  that  was 
fitted  with  Sickel's  cut-off,  Dickenson's  valve  gear  for  high 
steam  and  short  cuff-off,  and  patented  radial  wheels,  before 


OUTSIDE   ROUTE   FROM   NEW   YORK  TO   PHILADELPHIA.         511 

being  sent  to  the  East.  This  vessel  made  the  run  from  New 
York  to  Singapore  in  59  days  and  21  hours.  Lawrence  & 
Foulks  built  in  the  same  year  the  "Kiang-Tsze,"  a  beam- 
engine  boat  of  200  feet  long,  and  the  same  year  John  Englis 
£  Son  the  "Mo-Yune"  and  the  "Fire  Cracker,"  each  of  about 
250  feet  long.  The  latter  made  the  voyage  from  New  York 
to  Singapore  in  52%  days.  Henry  Steers  built  the  same  year 
the  "Che-Kiang,"  of  260  feet  long.  This  vessel  was  destroyed 
by  fire  at  Hankow  in  August,  1865.  In  1864,  the  "Fire  Queen," 
of  322  feet  long,  the  largest  of  them  all,  was  built  by  John 
Englis  &  Son,  and  fitted  with  a  beam  engine  from  the  "Western 
World."  Westervelt  &  Son  built  the  "Foong-Shuey,"  after- 
wards named  "Plymouth  Rock,"  of  287  feet  in  length,  with 
an  engine  from  the  Lake-Erie  steamer  "Plymouth  Rock."  This 
vessel  made  the  voyage  from  New  York  to  Singapore  in  51 
days.  The  last  that  was  built  especially  for  that  service  was 
the  "Suwo-Nada,"  in  1864,  by  John  Englis  &  Son,  of  the  type 
of  our  coastwise  side-wheelers  at  that  period.  She  was  under 
charter  for  about  four  months  in  the  early  part  of  1865  as  a 
transport  by  C.  P.  James,  at  |810  per  day,  and  subsequently 
run  to  New  Orleans  for  a  time,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
year  was  sent  to  China.  Most  all  of  these  vessels  were  like 
our  Long  Island  Sound  steamboats,  with  their  guards  running 
fore  and  aft  of  the  water  wheels,  and  some  with  sponsons 
under  their  guards,  their  forward  main  deck  enclosed,  but 
with  the  exception  that  they  were  fitted  with  masts 
and  sails.  The  earlier  ones  sent  out  were  like  in  ex- 
ternal appearance  to  the  "Escort,"  or  the  "W.  W.  Coit." 
The  later  ones  were  of  larger  dimensions,  like  those  on  the 
coast  of  Maine.  They  certainly  were  remarkably  fortunate 
with  vessels  of  that  type,  that  in  a  voyage  of  15,000  miles 
none  of  those  mentioned  were  lost  or  very  seriously  disabled 
on  the  voyage.  These  vessels,  in  going  out,  stopped  at  Cape 
Verde  Islands,  Capetown  at  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  Mauritius 
Island  and  Singapore.  Some  of  those  built  during  the  Civil 
War  stopped  on  their  voyage  at  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  took 
out  British  papers  and  sailed  under  the  British  flag,  to  be 
secure  against  capture  by  the  Confederate  cruisers  that  were 
prowling  over  the  course  these  vessels  would  take  on  their 
way  to  China. 


512         OUTSIDE   ROUTE   FROM   NEW   YORK  TO   PHILADELPHIA. 

There  was  a  propeller  built  by  Sylvanus  Smith,  of  Boston, 
Mass,  in  1863,  for  R.  B.  Forbes,  named  "Niphon,"  of  154  feet 
long,  that  was  intended  for  the  China  trade,  but  in  May  of 
that  year  the  Navy  Department  purchased  the  vessel  for  the 
blockade  service,  at  a  cost  of  $75,000.  She  was  of  composite 
construction,  and  bilge  keels,  or  "outside  keelsons,"  6%"xlO" 
and  60  feet  long,  were  fitted  on  the  outside  of  the  hull. 

For  other  propellers  for  China  waters  see  Poughkeepsie 
—Hudson  River. 

It  has  been  generally  considered  a  great  risk  was  taken 
with  these  vessels,  especially  those  built  in  the  early  stages, 
for  a  voyage  of  near  15,000  miles,  exposed  to  the  heavy  weather 
likely  to  be  encountered  around  Cape  Good  Hope  and  in  the 
East  Indies.  But  they  had  been  anticipated  by  the  owners 
of  our  river  steamboats.  After  the  gold  excitement  of  Cali- 
fornia broke  out,  in  1848,  sail  vessels  and  steam  vessels  of  all 
kinds  and  classes  were  brought  into  service  for  passenger  and 
freight  transportation  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and' the  light-built 
river  steamboat  entered  the  list.  Among  those  that  took  the 
risk  in  the  early  period  was  the  "Governor  Dana,"  a  stern- 
wheeler  of  130  feet  by  18  feet,  from  Oldtown,  Maine,  that 
arrived  on  the  Pacific  side;  the  "New  World,"  a  beam-engine 
boat  of  216  feet  by  27  feet  by  10  feet,  from  the  builders'  hands 
at  New  York  City;  the  "Antelope,"  that  had  run  for  a  year 
or  two  from  New  York  to  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.;  the  "Sen- 
ator," that  had  been  on  the  coast  of  Maine,  and  was  better 
fitted  for  the  voyage  than  any  of  the  others  named;  the 
"Wilson  G.  Hunt,"  a  small  river  boat  that  had  run  to  Coney 
Island,  of  165  feet  long,  left  New  York  March  3d,  1850,  on 
the  9th  encountered  a  gale  and  narrowly  escaped  foundering, 
losing  her  foremast,  and  her  entire  upper  works  being  almost 
wholly  wrecked  by  the  storm.  Put  into  St.  George's,  Bermuda 
Islands,  for  repairs,  but  afterwards  proceeded  on  her  voyage. 
The  "Rhode  Island,"  that  had  run  on  Long  Island  Sound,  left 
New  York  on  January  25th,  1850,  and  on  the  29th  encountered 
a  violent  gale,  and  foundered,  with  the  loss  of  several  lives. 
The  "W.  J.  Pease,"  that  was  the  pioneer  of  the  Sanf ord  outside 
line,  also  started;  the  "General  Warren"  and  the  "Com. 
Preble,"  that  had  been  on  the  Boston  and  Portland  line;  the 
propeller  "Eudora,"  that  had  been  on  Long  Island  Sound, 


OUTSIDE  ROUTE  FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  PHILADELPHIA.    513 

and  two  New  York  tugboats,  the  "Goliah"  and  the  "D.  C. 
Pell."  While  two  or  three  of  these  had  been  on  short  coast- 
wise routes,  they  were  not  fitted  for  such  a  voyage  more  than 
the  river  boats.  The  record  shows  that  the  "W.  J.  Pease"  was 
three  months-  in  getting  well  toward  the  Cape  when  com- 
pelled to  return  to  Montevideo  in  distress,  in  June,  1850,  where 
the  vessel  was  repaired  and  placed  in  service  to  Buenos  Ayres, 
but  was  afterwards  sold  to  run  on  the  Uruguay  River.  The 
"New  World"  made  the  voyage  in  152  days,  which  was  remark- 
able time  for  that  type  of  vessel.  There  was  a  mate  to  her, 
named  the  "New  York,"  that  started  a  few  months  later,  and 
consumed  about  four  months  in  getting  to  Eio  Janeiro,  and 
there  all  trace  of  her  is  lost.  The  "Eudora"  was  like  many 
more  at  the  time  on  the  voyages,  received  serious  damage 
during  storms,  and  at  one  time  was  condemned,  but  from  the 
time  of  leaving  New  York  to  arrival  at  San  Francisco  she 
was  12  months  and  11  days.  The  'Wilson  G.  Hunt"  appears 
to  have  been  most  unfortunate  by  detentions,  for  she  was 
laid  up  at  Montevideo  for  near  three  months  for  a  crew,  and 
at  other  ports  for  repairs,  and  the  time  from  port  to  port 
was  322  days.  The  "Goliah"  was  279  days  on  the  voyage, 
after  many  trials.  The  "General  Warren"  and  the  "Com. 
Preble"  were  each  on  the  voyage  about  9  months.  There 
were  several  more  of  these  small  steam  vessels  from  many 
Atlantic  ports,  all  of  them  unsuitable  for  such  a  voyage  as 
.was  undertaken,  that  started  at  the  time  for  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  but  never  reached  there,  being  either  wrecked  or  con- 
demned by  a  board  of  survey  en  route  or  foundered  at  sea. 
Those  that  were  so  fortunate  as  to  arrive  at  their  destination 
were  compelled  to  call  at  every  principal  port  on  the  way  for 
repairs  to  the  hull  of  the  vessel,  or  were  detained  by  illness 
of  the  crew  by  fever,  or  both.  Very  few  instances  are  recorded 
of  the  machinery  being  disabled.  The  crews  of  the  vessels 
fthat  went  to  China  a  few  years  later  had  an  excursion  on 
the  voyage  when  compared  to  those  that  went  to  California 
in  the  early  days  of  the  California  gold  excitement  The 
distance  between  New  York  and  San  Francisco  and  New  York 
and  Hong-Kong,  via  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  is  but  a  few  hundred 
miles  in  favor  of  the  latter  voyage.  The  Suez  Canal  was  not 
opened  for  public  use  until  November,  1869. 


514    OUTSIDE  ROUTE  FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  PHILADELPHIA. 

It  is  probable,  in  some  of  the  California-bound  steamers, 
that  enclosing  the  forward  main  deck  in  some  form  was 
resorted  to  for  protection  during  heavy  weather,  prior  to  its 
use  on  the  northern  lakes. 

The  expenses  for  repairs  and  laying  over  at  the  many 
ports  on  the  voyage  to  San  Francisco  of  these  light-built 
vessels  was  so  great,  including  the  wages  and  expenses  of  the 
crew,  and  insurance  where  it  was  obtained,  that  it  deterred 
many  from  sending  any  more  of  the  same  class  of  vessels 
in  the  same  manner,  for  we  find  in  the  next  year,  there  were 
three  or  more  good-size  river  steamboats  built  at  New  York 
that  were  taken  apart  and  shipped,  with  their  machinery,  to 
San  Francisco,  where  they  were  re-erected  and  completed  for 
duty  in. that  far-off  State. 

In  October,  1864,  the  Coastwise  S.  S.  Co.  placed  the  pro- 
pellers "E.  C.  Knight"  and  the  "John  Gibson"  on  the  outside 
line  to  New  York,  where  they  remained  for  about  two  years.  In 
1867,  Lorillard's  freight  line  was  established  by  the  outside 
route,  and  run  for  several  years,  but  it  subsequently  came 
under  the  control  of  the  Clyde  interests,  who  have  controlled 
the  line  ever  since. 


CHAPTER    IX. 
STEAM  FERRY-BOATS  AND  COMPANIES. 

EFORE  the  introduction  of  steam  ferry-boats,  the 
rivers  at  New  York  City  were  crossed  by  boats 
for  horses,  baggage,  etc.,  and  barges  for  passen- 
gers. In  1810,  there  were  propositions  before  the 
Legislature  for  improvements  in  the  ferries,] 
which  required  the  owners  of  ferry-boats  to  have  their  names/ 
painted  with  white  letters  on  the  stern  of  the  boat,  and  the 
words  "Ferry  Boat."  on  the  inside  of  the  stern.  It  was  fur- 
thermore proposed  that  the  owners  of  ferry-boats  should  at 
all  times  in  the  months  of  May,  June,  July,  August  and  Sep- 
tember, have  their  boats  ready  for  passage  from  half  an  hour 
before  sunrise  until  9  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  in  all  other 
months  from  sunrise  until  8  o'clock  in  the  evening;  and  that 
no  passenger  should  be  detained  more  than  five  minutes.  It 
was  proposed  that  a  sufficient  number  of  barges  for  passengers 
should  be  kept  at  all  of  the  ferries,  upon  which  barges  no 
baggage  or  lumber  should  be  carried.  Four  men  were  to  be 
\.  employed  to  row  every  barge,  and  in  every  horse  boat  two  men. 
The  passenger  barges  should  be  not  less  than  22  feet  long  and 
7  feet  wide,  and  no  more  than  fourteen  passengers  should  be 
ferried  in  them  at  one  time. 

From  this  may  be  judged  the  condition  of  the  ferries, 
immediately  previous  to  the  introduction  of  steam  ferry-boats. 
The  success  of  Fulton,  in  the  year  1807JOn  running  a  steam- 
boat to  Albany  and  back,  aroused  the  inventive  and  specula- 
ting spirit  of  the  New  Yorkers,  and  the  particular  application 
of  this  new  method  of  navigation  to  crossing  ferries  was  im- 
mediately seen. 

The  ferry  which  was  first  opened  to  competition  at  about 
that  period,  was  that  to  Paulus  Hook,  the  lease  of  which 
expired  in  the  spring  of  1811.  An  association  was  formed  in 
which  Elisha  Boudinot,  of  Newark,  N.  J.,  and  Robert  Fulton 
were  concerned,  who  made  application,  in  July,  1809,  for  a 


516  STEAM  FERRY-BOATS  AND  COMPANIES.  j 

» 

lease  of  this  ferry.  A  competitor  arose  in  the  person  of 
Daniel  French,  who  had  obtained  a  patent  for  an  improvement 
in  the  use  of  steam  in  propelling  boats,  by  which  he  claimed 
a  great  saving  of  expense  was  made.  Other  competitors  came 
forward  in  the  persons  of  Elisha  Morrell  and  Levi  Kendall, 
who  claimed  that  they  had  a  patent  for  an  invention  which 
they  believed  superior  in  the  working  of  machinery  to  all 
others.  All  these  applications  were  laid  over  until  their 
respective  claims  could  be  more  fully  examined. 

In  December  of  the  same  year,  John  Stevens,  who  owned 
the  shore  line  at  Hoboken  and  the  ferry  running  to  that  place, 
claimed  that  he  had  been  for  some  time  engaged  in  costly 
experiments  to  apply  the  force  of  steam  to  navigation,  and 
therefore  claimed  the  prior  right  of  steam  ferriage  to  Hoboken. 

Daniel  French's  boat  was  completed  in  the  course  of  the 
winter  of  1809-10,  and  was  first  exhibited  to  the  public  on 
February  27th,  1810.  He  was  not  successful,  however,  in  his 
application  for  a  ferry  lease,  and  finally)4)n  March  25th,  1811, 
leases  wTere  executed  to  the  Jersey  Association  for  the  Paulus 
Hook  ferry,  and  to  John  Stevens  for  the  Hoboken  ferry,  both 
lo  be  served  by  steam  ferry-boats.  It  now  became  a  matter  of 
competition  between  these  rival  lessees,  represented  by  Fulton 
on  one  side,  and  Stevens  on  the  other,  who  should  first  bring 
a  steam  ferry-boat  into  actual  operation.  In  this  Stevens  was 
successful.  In  the  early  part  of  October,  1811,  he  invited  the 
New  York  City  authorities  on  board  the  first  regular  steam 
ferry-boat  which  plied  in  any  part  of  the  world.  The  trip  to 
Hoboken  was  successfully  accomplished,  and  a  formal  entry 
of  the  fact  was  made  in  the  city  records  of  New  York  at  the 
time.  While  Stevens  had  the  first  ferry-boat,  Fulton  had  a 
more  complete  ferry  system  to  start  with^ 

The  Jersey  Association  were  by  their  agreement  to  com- 
plete two  boats,  but  were  delayed  for  nearly  a  year  subsequent 
to  the  period  at  which  Stevens'  boat  was  put  on  his  ferry. 
It  appears  that  Fulton  was  meantime  devising  improvements, 
and  asked  time  on  the)  second  boat  until  experiments  were 
made  with  the  first,  ^-triie  first  boat  was  put  in  operation  in 
July,  1812,  on  which  occasion  an  entertainment  was  given  at 
the  tavern  on  Paulus  Hook  to  the  members  of  the  Common 
Council  and  several  other  guests. 


STEAM  FEfcRY-BOATS  AND  COMPANIES.  517 

This  ferry  is  thus  spoken  of  in  one  of  the  journals  of 
that  period: 

"The  perfect  success  of  Livingston  and  Fulton  in  their 
invention  and  establishment  of  steamboats  for  the  accom- 
modation of  passengers  between  the  cities  of  New  York  and 
Albany  drew  the  attention  of  Mr.  Durand,  Judge  Boudinot, 
General  Cummings  and  some  other  gentlemen  residing  in 
Newark,  to  the  possibility  of  improving  the  communication 
between  New  York  and  Jersey  City,  by  means  of  steam  ferry- 
boats. In  the  autumn  of  1809,  a  company  of  gentlemen  sub- 
scribed fifty  thousand  dollars  to  carry  the  plan  into  effect. 
Negotiations  were  commenced  with  the  Corporation  of  New 
York  and  the  proprietors  of  Jersey  City,  for  a  lease  of  the 
ferries  for  nineteen  years,  and  Mr.  Fulton  was  applied  to  to 
construct  such  a  boat  as  in  his  judgment  would,  under  all 
circumstances,  answer  the  best  purpose  for  carrying  passen- 
gers, coaches,  horses,  wagons,  cattle,  etc.,  etc.  Acting  for  a 
liberal  company  and  unrestrained  in  his  plans  or  expenses,  the 
inhabitants  of  this  city  have  seen,  with  the  greatest  pleasure, 
hip  complete  success.  The  steam  ferry-boat  approaches  nearer 
to  the  conveniences  arising  from  a  bridge  than  anything  which 
art  has  yet  produced;  and  for  this  passage  of  the  Hudson 
Kiver,  where  a  bridge  would  interrupt  or  destroy  an  important 
navigation,  the  boat  is  superior  to  a  bridge. 

"During  five  or  six  weeks  in  the  severity  of  winter,  the 
ice  may  render  the  passage  difficult,  but  it  is  evident  that 
among  floating  cakes  of  ice  this  boat  can  act  better  than  any 
other;  by  reversing  the  motion  of  her  water  wheel  she  can 
move  either  end  foremost,  and  not  depending  on  the  wind, 
but  on  her  engine,  she  can  be  worked  through  the  openings 
in  the  ice  in  every  direction. 

"The  width  of  the  river  is  from  one  and  a  quarter  to  one 
and  a  half  miles,  the  depth  of  water  on  an  average  fifty  feet. 
Tn  such  a  situation,  a  permanent  bridge  with  stone  piers,  could 
not  be  built  for  less  than  two  millions  of  dollars,  whereas  the 
present  establishment  when  finished,  consisting  of  two  steam 
ferry-boats,  with  the  wrharves  and  floating  bridges  for  entering 
the  boats,  will  not  exceed  fifty  thousand  dollars.  Such  econ- 
omy is  sufficient  inducement  to  establish  steam  ferry-boats  in 
a  variety  of  places  in  the  United  States,  where  expense  will 


STEAM  FERRY-BOATS  AND  COMPANIES,  i 

prevent  the  building  of  bridges;  and  we  hope  soon  to  see  a 
similar  establishment  on  the  East  River  between  New  York 
and  Long  Island." 

The  system  was  so  thoroughly  worked  out  in  the  be- 
girning  that  Fulton's  own  account  of  his  design  will  stand 
fairly  well  for  a  description  of  the  ferries  of  a  later  day,  and 
the  following  letter,  written  by  him  to  Dr.  David  Hosack, 
describing  the  boat,  etc.,  which  he  had  put  in  operation,  in 
1812,  upon  the  Paulus  Hook  ferry,  will  doubtless  prove  of 
interest. 

"Sir:  At  your  request,  I  have  sent  you  a  bird's-eye 
and  side  view  of  the  Paulus  Hook  steam  ferry-boat  and 
floating  bridge,  by  which  everything  enters  or  is  landed 
from  her. 

"My  reasons  for  her  particular  form  and  arrangement 
of  machinery  are  as  follows: 

"First.  She  is  built  of  two  boats,  each  10  feet  beam, 
80  feet  long  and  5  feet  deep  in  the  hold,  which  boats  are 
distant  from  each  other  10  feet,  confined  with  strong 
transverse  beams,  knees  and  diagonal  braces,  forming  a 
deck  30  feet  wide  and  80  feet  long.  To  give  her  more 
strength,  she  is  held  together  by  four-inch  braces,  each 
two  inches  square,  which  pass  through  her  one  foot  above 
the  water  line,  and  key  on  strong  plates  on  the  inside  of 
each  boat.  Reflecting  on  a  steam  ferry  for  Hudson  River, 
the  waves  usually  running  up  or  down,  I  found  a  great 
breadth  of  beam  absolutely  necessary  to  prevent  the  boat 
rolling  in  the  trough  of  the  sea.  This  is  attained  by  two 
boats  and  one  space,  giving  30  feet  beam. 

Second.  By  placing  the  propelling  water  wheel  be- 
tween the  boats,  it  is  guarded  from  injury  by  ice  or 
shocks  on  approaching  the  wharf  or  entering  the  docks, 
which  operation  being  performed  twenty-four  times  in  the 
twelve  hours,  allows  no  time  for  fending  off  with  boat 
hooks. 

"To  give  despatch  and  convenience,  it  is  necessary  the 
boat  should  arrive  at  the  bridge  without  the  possibility 
of  any  injury;  hence  all  important  parts  of  the  machinery 
should  be  carefully  guarded,  particularly  the  propelling 
wheel. 


STEAM  FERRY-BOATS  AND  COMPANIES.  519 

"Third.  The  whole  of  the  machinery  being  placed 
between  two  boats,  on  the  beams  over  the  open  space, 
leaves  30  feet  wide  on  one  side  on  the  deck  of  the  boat 
for  carriages,  horses,  cattle,  etc.,  the  other  having  neat 
benches  and  covered  with  an  awning,  is  for  passengers. 
On  the  latter  side  there  is  a  passage  and  stairs  to  a  neat 
cabin,  which  is  50  feet  long  and  5  feet  clear  from  the 
floor  to  the  beams,  and  furnished  with  benches  for  pas- 
sengers in  rainy  or  bad  weather.  In  the  winter  there  will 
be  a  stove  in  this  cabin,  which  will  add  much  to  the 
comfort  of  the  passengers  while  navigating  through  the 
ice. 

"Fourth.  Although  the  two  boats  and  space  between 
them  give  30  feet  beam  and  proportionate  stability,  yet 
th?y  present  sharp  bows  to  the  water,  and  have  only  the 
resistance  in  water  of  one  boat  of  20  feet  beam,  which 
diminution  of  resistance  gives  speed  in  crossing. 

"Fifth.  The  space  from  stem  to  stern  is  20  feet  wide, 
which  gives  ample  room  at  each  end  for  carriages  or 
persons  to  enter  or  go  out  of  the  boat. 

"Sixth.  Both  ends  being  alike,  and  each  having  a 
rudder,  she  never  puts  about.  At  New  York  the  horses 
and  carriages  enter  at  one  end  of  the  boat,  the  horses 
heads  towards  Jersey.  On  arriving,  they  go  out  at  the 
other  end,  without  changing  the  line  of  direction;  in 
like  manner,  when  coming  from  Jersey  to  New  York. 
Thus  the  shortest  possible  and  quickest  movement  of  all 
that  is  to  pass  is  made  to  save  time  and  secure  conveni 
ence.  Her  rudders  are  equipollent — the  iron  shaft  which 
serves  as  a  rudder-post  standing  in  the  middle  of  each, 
by  which  construction  the  pressure  of  the  water  being 
equal  on  each  side  of  the  centre,  it  can  go  either  end 
foremost.  With  yokes  and  parallel  bars,  the  movements 
of  the  rudders  are  carried  to  the  helms,  the  only  position 
where  the  helmsman  can  have  a  full  view  of  all  around 
the  boat,  and  see  how  to  steer  her  into  the  dock. 

"It  was  at  one  time  my  intention  to  put  a  rudder  on 
the  bow  of  each  boat,  and  work  them  by  a  connecting  bar, 
but  considering  that  such  rudders,  while  acting  as  a  bow, 
would  be  injured  by  ice  or  destroyed  by  shocks  against  a 


520  STEAM  FERRY-BOATS  AND  COMPANIES. 

wharf  or  timbers,  and  knowing  that  the  greatest  current 
of  water  is  exactly  behind  the  wheel  and  between  the  two 
boats,  I  place  them  as  delineated,  where  they  answer 
every  desired  purpose,  and  are  guarded  from  injury.  In 
my  first  sketches,  I  had  made  the  inside  line  of  eacji 
boat  straight,  that  the  water  might  have  a  free  passage 
from  one  end  to  the  other;  but  the  disadvantage  of  such 
a  mode  of  construction  would  be,  that  the  whole  of  the 
inside  lines  would  act  as  leeboards,  rendering  it  difficult 
to  put  her  about,  or  to  work  her  up  in  the  tide.  Had 
this  boat  been  moved  by  wind,  such  a  form,  to  prevent 
leeway,  would  have  been  advantageous,  but  moved  by 
steam,  the  less  water  she  draws,  the  easier  she  moves  over 
it  in  every  direction  the  better;  her  bottoms  are  therefore 
made  rounding,  with  very  little  dead  rise.  Another  ma- 
terial error  which  would  have  arisen  from  straight  insides 
would  be  that  each  bearing  but  half  a  boat,  the  two  could 
not  give  more  breadth  of  beam,  or  so  much  buoyancy 
as  one  of  the  present  boats,  and  to  give  the  30-feet  beam 
it  would  be  necessary  to  have  a  vacant  space  between  the 
two  insides  of  20  feet,  which  long  and  hollow  bearing 
would  produce  weakness.  Such  a  boat,  to  carry  the  same 
weight,  would  draw  near  twice  as  much  water  as  the 
present  steamboats,  and  create  a  resistance  in  the  water 
equal  to  the  present  resistance  by  breadth  of  beam. 

"Seventh.  The  floating  bridges,  of  which  there  is  One 
on  each  side  of  the  river. 

"A  coffer,  24  feet  long,  12  feet  wide  and  four  feet  deep, 
which  gives  a  superficies  of  twk>  lilutudred  a/nd  eighty-eight 
feet,  or  nine  tons  weight  to  press  it  in  the  water  one  foot,  or 
one  thousand  five  hundred  pounds  to  press  it  in  the  water 
one  inch.  This  great  resistance  gives  stability,  while  carri- 
ages or  heavy  wagons  enter  the  boat.  The  bridge  is  thirty 
feet  long,  twenty  wide,  fastened  by  four  strong  hinges  to 
the  coffer  and  to  the  wharf;  thus  the  bridge  rises  and 
falls  with  the  tide,  and  is  always  exactly  even  with  the 
end  of  the  boat.  When  low  water  there  is  an  easy  descent 
into  the  boat;  at  half  flood,  the  boat,  bridge  and  wharf 
are  on  a  level;  at  high  water  there  is  an  easy  descent 
from  the  boat  to  the  wharf.  As  the  weight  of  the  bridge 


STEAM  FERRY-BOATS  AND  COMPANIES.  521 

is  on  one  edge  of  the  coffer,  to  prevent  its  sinking  on 
that  side,  and  rising  on  the  other,  a  chain  is  fastened  to 
the  bridge,  which  passes  over  a  pulley,  with  a  heavy 
weight.  Such  an  application  on  each  side  of  the  bridge 
pulls  it  up  in  the  middle,  and  pushes  down  the  coffer, 
added  to  which,  a  pine  log,  one  foot  square,  is  bolted  on 
each  side  of  the  coffer,  with  two  transverse  logs  dove- 
tailed into  them,  of  which  the  weight  and  leverage  retain 
the  coffer  in  a  horizontal  position.  The  next  and  last  thing 
to  be  discovered  was  how  to  make  the  boat  arrive  at  the 
bridge  without  the  aid  of  boat  hooks,  or  any  pushing  or 
pulling  or  loss  of  time  or  shock,  the  latter  being  the  most 
material  to  guard  against;  for  this  purpose  the  dock 
wrhich  receives  her  is  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet  long, 
seventy  wide;  the  bridge  is  fastened  to  the  middle  of 
the  bulkhead.  The  boat  being  only  thirty  feet  wide,  and 
the  dock  seventy,  leaves  twenty  feet  vacant  on  each  of 
her  sides;  in  these  twenty  feet  spaces,  and  on  the  water 
there  are  floating  stages  made  of  pine  logs,  which  lie 
parallel  to  the  boat  for  thirty  feet,  and  then  run  diagon- 
ally to  the  extreme  end  of  the  wharves,  so  that  the  boat, 
when  coming  in,  hits  within  the  seventy  feet,  and  the 
stages  guide  her  direct  to  the  bridge.  To  prevent  shocks, 
there  are  two  pieces  of  timber,  each  eight  inches  square, 
which  move  on  rollers^  and  run  out  between  the  bridge  and 
coffer;  the  two  are  connected  by  a  crossbar,  and  under 
the  bridge  by  another  crossbar.  To  this  latter  crossbar, 
and  on  each  side  of  the  bridge,  there  are  ropes  fastened, 
which  ropes  pass  under  pulleys,  descend  and  fasten  to 
buckets,  which  buckets  of  oak,  strongly  hooped  with  iron, 
are  fifteen  inches  in  diameter,  six  feet  long,  and  when  full 
of  water  will  weigh  about  one  thousand  eight  hundred 
pounds. 

"When  the  fenders  are  projected  to  their  position, 
which  is  about  ten  feet  from  the  bridge,  the  buckets  are 
down  in  the  water,  leaving  their  upper  rim  about  three 
inches  above  the  surface.  Each  bucket  has  four  holes  in 
the  bottom,  of  an  inch  diameter,  by  which  the  water  enters 
as  they  descend,  and  whfch  lets  out  the  water  as  they  rise. 
In  case  the  resistance  should  be  too  great  for  the  boat  to 


522  STEAM  FERRY-BOATS  AND  COMPANIES. 

come  close  to  the  bridge,  the  water  running  out  of  the 
buckets  will  diminish  it  and  let  the  boat  arrive  at  the 
position  required.  To  prevent  shock,  the  whole  force 
must  be  gradually  diminished  to  annihilation;  the  re- 
sistance to  the  boat  must  be  little  in  the  commencement 
and  increase  until  the  whole  power  is  destroyed.  For- 
tunately, this  contrivance  produces  the  desired  effect. 
When  the  buckets  are  in  the  water,  they  are  nearly  buoy- 
ant, but  the  moment  the  boat  strikes  the  crossbar,  and 
it  begins  to  run  in,  the  buckets  come  gradually  out  of  the 
water  and  grow  heavier  each  inch  they  rise,  increasing 
resistance  until  the  momentum  is  destroyed  and  the  boat 
arrives  at  the  bridge  without  shock,  when  the  passengers, 
carriages  and  horses  immediately  move  out  and  others 
enter. 

"In  the  present  state  of  this  part  of  the  machinery, 
to  prevent  shocks,  it  is  necessary  the  men  should  be 
attentive  to  stop  the  engine  in  time.  The  most  perfect 
machinery  is  that  which  leaves  as  little  as  possible  to  the 
care  of  man. 

"I  have  some  additions  to  make  which  will  prevent 
the  possibility  of  shocks,  even  in  cases  where  men  may 
mistake  or  be  careless.  In  a  new  combination  of  this 
kind,  it  is  not  to  be  expected  that  everything  should  work 
to  the  best  advantage  in  a  first  experiment,  or  that  every 
requisite  should  be  foreseen.  The  boat  which  I  am  now 
constructing  will  have  some  important  improvements,  par- 
ticularly in  the  power  of  the  engine  to  overcome  strong 
ebb  tides,  from  which  again  other  improvements  will  be 
made,  as  in  all  other  inventions.  The  present  boat  crosses 
the  river  in  a  calm  in  fourteen  minutes ;  her  average  time 
is  twenty  minutes.  She  has  had  in  her  at  one  time  eight 
four-wheel  carriages,  twenty-nine  horses  and  one  hundred 
persons,  and  could  have  taken  three  hundred  persons  more. 
From  the  success  of  this  experiment  there  is  the  pleasing 
prospect  that  boats  of  this  kind  will  facilitate  the  passage 
of  many  of  our  wide  rivers  and  bays,  and  prove  an  im- 
portant benefit  to  our  country.  I  am,  Sir,  respectfully, 
"Your  most  obedient, 

"ROBERT  FULTON." 


STEAM  FERRY-BOATS  AND*  COMPANIES.  523 

There  have  been  several  changes  made  in  late  years  from 
Fulton's  design,  although  some  features  have  been  retained. 
There  has  been,  to  be  sure,  a  very  material  increase  in  size  of 
the  vessels,  and  a  very  wide  departure  in  their  passenger 
accommodations.  The  double  hulls  were  finally  dispensed  with 
about  1836,  and  single  hulls  substituted  since.  The  docks  or 
slips  have  been  enclosed  with  spring  piles  and  racks,  and  the 
balanced  beam  for  landing  bridges  has  long  since  given  way 
to  floating  bridges;  india  rubber  springs  at  the  hinge  of  the 
floating  bridges  were  afterwards  used,  while  the  boats  are  now 
slowed  down  in  entering  the  slips. 

The  following  is  the  copy  of  an  estimate  made  by  Robert 
Fulton  for  running  a  ferry-boat  prior  to  the  opening  of  the 
Jersey  City  ferry. 

^Estimate  for  the  expense  of  a  steam  ferry-boat  for  one 
year : 

2  Firemen,  at  |30  per  month  each,  they  finding 
themselves;  they  will  also  act  as  engineers  to 
keep  the  engine  in  order;  they  must  be  engaged 
by  the  year,  as  such  men  cannot  be  turned 
away  in  the  winter  and  got  in  the  spring,  $60 

per  month $720.00 

2  Boatmen  to  take  turns  in  steering,  at  $25  a 

month  each,  $50  a  month. 600.00 

iy2  Cords  of  wood,  for  12  or  13  hours,  at  $4.50 
per  cord  or,  say,  7  dollars  a  day;  to  work  320 

days   ". 2,240.00 

Wear,  tear  and  repairs 600.00 


$4,160.00 
January  22d,  1810. 

ROBERT  FULTON. 

The  Paulus  Hook  ferry  company  was  incorporated  by  the 
New  York  Legislature  in  March,  1814,  as  the  York  and  Jersey 
Steamboat  Ferry  Co.  The  first  boat  built  for  the  company 
was  named  the  "Jersey,"  and  was  in  service  for  many  years. 
The  second  built,  and  of  the  same  model  as  the  "Jersey,"  was 

?*  The  original  of  this  estimate  was  at  one  time  in  the  possession 
of  Cobanks  &  Theall,  marine-engine  builders,  New  York. 


524  STEAM  FERRY-BOATS  AND  COMPANIES. 


constructed  in  1813,  and  named  the  "York."  It  is  said  these 
boats  were  slow  coaches — that  when  they  passed  close  to  one 
another  in  the  river  passengers  on  the  two  boats  could  hold 
quite  a  lengthy  conversation  before  they  got  beyond  talking 
distance.  Up  to  May,  1816,  the  lessees  had  made  but  one 
dividend  of  5  per  cent .  For  this  reason  they  requested  that 
the  Common  Council  of  New  York  would  either  purchase  the 
ferry,  reduce  the  rent,  or  increase  the  rates  of  ferriage.  The 
only  relief  obtained  was  an  increase  of  personal  toll  to  12% 
cents.  In  those  days  the  fare  was  collected  on  the  boat  during 
the  passage  over.  On  the  first  of  May,  1823,  the  company 
took  a  lease  of  the  right  of  ferry  from  New  York  to  so  much 
of  the  Jersey  shore  as  lies  between  a  point  immediately  south 
of  Hoboken  and  a  point  due  west  from  the  Battery.  But  their 
experience  was  not  a  success.  They  sank  all  their  capital,  the 
boiler  of  one  of  their  boats  blew  up  while  in  the  slip,  and  the 
year  1824  found  them  unable  to  continue.  In  September,  1825, 
they  assigned  their  lease  to  Francis  B.  Ogden,  Cadwallader  D. 
Golden  and  Samuel  Swartwout.  The  Common  Council  of  New 
York  City  consented  to  the  assignment  and  gave  the  assignees 
a  new  lease  for  fifteen  years  and  six  months  from  the  first  of 
November,  1825.  The  lessees  were  to  provide  two  good  steam- 
boats, but  in  the  place  of  one  of  these  were  afterwards  per- 
mitted to  use  a  team  or  horseboat.  They  were  also  to  provide 
the  ferry  with  rowboats.  In  1826  they  bought  and  placed  on  the 
ferry  the  "Washington."  In  October  of  same  year,  Ogden  and 
Swartwout  transferred  their  interests  in  the  lease  to  Golden. 
He  failed  after  a  time  in  making  the  operation  of  the  ferry 
a  successful  enterprise,  and  surrendered  it  to  the  York  and 
Jersey  S.  B.  Ferry  Co.  On  the  first  of  January,  1836,  the 
owners  leased  it  to  the  New  Jersey  R.  B.  Co.,  running  to  New 
Brunswick,  N.  J.,  for  a  term  of  years,  having  in  the  meantime 
built  three  new  boats,  the  "Essex,"  "Sussex"  and  "New  Jersey." 
By  renewals  the  railroad  company  continued  to  operate  the 
ferry  until  1853,  when  the  lessees  bought  up  the  stock  of  the 
ferry  company,  and  thus  became  the  owners  of  the  ferry.  They 
continued  to  operate  the  ferry  until  the  N.  J.  R.  R.  and  Trans. 
Co.  was  absorbed  by  the  Pennsylvania  R.  K.  Co.,  when  the 
ferries  passed  to  the  same  hands, 


STEAM  FERRY-BOATS  AND  COMPANIES.  525 

The  ferry  from  Desbrosses  street  to  Jersey  City  was  opened 
in  1862.  The  Pennsylvania  R.  R.  Company  took  these  ferries  in 
51871. 

\^The  Hoboken  ferry  was  first  opened  with  sailboats  and 
rowboats  in  1775,  and  was  run  with  varying  success  by  several 
owners  until  after  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War. /John 
Stevens  first  came  into  possession  of  the  lease  of  this  ferry  to 
Yesey  street,  New  York — now  Barclay  street  ferry — in  1789, 
but  retained  it  only  for  about  two  years.  It  is  as  well  to  say 
that  Colonel  Stevens  purchased  the  Hoboken  estate  in  July, 
1784.  The  lease  of  the  ferry  then  passed  to  other  hands,  and 
in  1808,  David  Goodwin  secured  the  lease  of  the  ferry,  and  in 
1811  John  Stevens  was  the  proprietor.  He  now  built  a  steam 
ferry-boat,  named  the  "Juliana,"  and  this  David  Goodwin 
appears  for  a  time  to  have  had  the  control  of  the  vessel  while 
running  on  the  ferry,  though  the  lease  was  to  John  Stevens. 
On  September  18th,  1811,  he  advertises : 

"Hoboken  Steamboat. 

"Mr.  Goodwin  respectfully  acquaints  the  citizens  of  New 
York  and  the  public  at  large,  that  he  has  commenced  running 
a  steamboat  on  the  Hoboken  ferry  of  large  and  convenient 
size,  and  capable  of  affording  accommodations  in  a  very  ex- 
tensive degree.  The  boat  moves  with  uncommon  speed  and 
facility,  and  starts  from  the  usual  ferry  stairs  at  the  Corpora- 
tion wharf,  foot  of  Vesey  street,  New  York,  where  passages  can 
be  taken  at  any  hour." 

A  news  item  at  that  time  said:  "Steamboats  are  rapidly 
getting  into  the  full  tide  of  successful  experiment  in  this 
country.  Last  week  one  of  Col.  Stevens'  ferry-boats,  employed 
by  Mr.  Goodwin,  of  Hoboken,  was  started  into  operation,  and 
yesterday  made  16  trips  back  and  forth  between  that  place 
and  this  city,  with  a  probable  average  of  100  passengers  each 
trip.  Her  machinery,  we  understand,  is  somewhat  different 
from  that  of  the  large  North  River  boats,  and  we  presume 
she  sails  considerably  f  ister  than  any  other  heretofore  con- 
structed in  our  waters." 

A  committee  from  the  members  of  the  New  York  City 
Common  Council  were  invited  to  take  a  trip  on  this,  the  first 
steam  ferry-boat  in  the  world,  as  the  minutes  of  that  body  for 


526  ,  STEAM  PERRY-BOATS  AND  COMPANIES. 

October,  7th,  1811,  say:  "A  note  was  read  from  Mr.  John 
Stevens  informing  the  Common  Council  that  he  should  expect 
the  members  on  Wednesday  next,  at  10  o'clock,  to  witness  the 
operation  of  his  steamboat.  Whereupon,  resolved,  that  the 
Board  will  attend  at  that  time."  The  minutes  further  say,  on 
October  14th,  1811,  "A  report  of  several  members  who,  on  the 
invitation  of  John  Stevens,  Esq.,  crossed  the  river  in  the 
Hoboken  steam  ferry-boat,  expressing  their  approbation  of 
the  same  was  received  and  ordered  to  be  filed." 

The  "Juliana"  was  continued  in  service  on  the  ferry  for  a 
little  over  a  year,  and  it  is  altogether  probable  the  vessel  was 
withdrawn  more  on  account  of  the  opposition  of  the  Paulus 
Hook  Ferry  Company  to  a  steamboat  on  the  route  than  any  thing- 
else.  Her  highest  speed  under  the  best  conditions  was  51/3  miles 
per  hour.  After  she  was  withdrawn  she  was  taken  out  a  few 
limes,  and  gave  the  Albany  boats  "a  brush"  for  a  few  miles  on 
the  river,  probably  after  some  changes  had  been  made.  The 
Paulus  Hook  ferry  being  owrned  partly  by  those  in  the  North 
River  Steamboat  Company,  and  they  holding  the  exclusive 
privilege  for  steam  vessels  in  New  York  waters,  were  in  a 
position  to  deny  Stevens  the  right  to  employ  a  steamboat  on 
ihe  Hoboken  ferry  to  New  York  City.  This  was  what  caused 
the  adoption  of  the  teamboats  in  1814.  Teamboats  were  also 
brought  into  use  by  the  demands  of  Robert  Fulton  for  the 
use  of  his  patents  on  steamboats,  of  one  half  of  the  dividends 
of  all  over  10  per  cent,  received  by  those  making  use  of  them. 
Teamboats  were  the  invention  of  Moses  Rodger s,  of  New 
York,  and  were  first  brought  into  use  on  the  East  River  in  1814. 
This  one  on  the  Hoboken  ferry  was  the  second  in  use. 

John  Stevens  continued  to  operate  both  the  Vesey  street 
as  well  as  the  Spring  street  ferry  until  June,  1817,  when  he  sold 
to  John,  Robert  and  Samuel  Swartwout  the  exclusive  right 
of  ferriage  from  Hoboken  to  New  York.  The  Swartwouts 
proposed  to  have  on  the  twro  ferries  by  the  first  of  May,  1818, 
"two  horseboats  and  other  craft  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
public/7  On  the  7th  of  April,  1817,  the  Common  Council  con- 
sented to  the  transfer  of  the  ferry  leases,  and  an  extension 
thereof  for  ten  years,  on  condition  that  the  Swartwouts  would 
give  to  the  city  f 51 6.25  a  year  for  the  Vesey  street  ferry,  and 
within  six  months  from  the  first  of  the  following  May  place 


STBAM  FERRY-BOATS  AND  COMPANIES.  527 

thereon  two  good  horseboats  of  not  less  than  eight  horses  to 
a  'boat,"  and  for  the  Spring  street  ferry  to  give  $25  a  year,  and 
place  thereon  "as  many  sail  or  ferry-boats  as  the  Corporation 
may  deem  proper."  ^feout  this  time  the  landing  on  the  New 
York  side  was  changed  to  Murray  street.  But  that  location 
was  found  to  be  too  "remote  from  the  Market  to  accommodate 
the  country  people,"  and  as  Vesey  street  was  "too  much  cov- 
ered with  carts,  etc.,"  Barclay  street  was  selected  as  the  land- 
ing place  on  the  8th  of  June,  1818.  V  At  this  place  it  has  re- 
mained ever  since.  The  Swartwouts  held  these  ferries  but 
a  little  over  one  year.  They  assigned  them  to  Phillip  Hone,  of 
New  York.  The  Common  Council  consented  to  the  transfer. 
They  gave  him  a  lease  for  twelve  years,  and  permitted  him 
to  "substitute  a  good,  substantial  teamboat  in  the  place  of  a 
steamboat."  About  the  first  of  March,  1821,  an  ejectment  suit 
was  begun  against  Hone  to  take  from  him  the  ferry.  Before 
this  suit  came  to  trial  the  parties  compromised,  and  the  two 
ferries  reverted  to  the  Stevens  family.  In  May,  1821,  John 
C.  and  Robert  L.  Stevens  purchased  the  interest  which  Hone 
had  in  them.  They  now  proposed  to  place  on  the  Barclay 
street  ferry  "a  superior  steamboat,  from  ninety  to  one  hundred 
foet  on  deck  and  forty-two  feet  beam,  built  of  the  best  cedar 
and  oak,"  and  promised  to  put  on  more  than  one  if  necessary. 
For  the  Spring  street  ferry  they  promised  an  eight-horse  team- 
boat.  The  Common  Council  consented  that  John  C.  Stevens 
should  have  the  lease  of  the  Barclay  street  ferry  for  nine  years 
from  May  1st,  1821,  at  a  rent  of  $595  a  year,  and  that  he  and 
hip  brother,  Eobert  L.  Stevens,  should  have  the  Spring  street 
ferry  for  fourteen  years,  paying  therefor,  for  the  first  four 
years,  one  cent  a  year,  for  the  next  five  years  $50  a  year,  and 
for  the  next  five  years  $200  a  year.  It  was  further  agreed 
that  the  Barclay  street  lease  should  be  extended  for  five  years 
at  a  rent  of  $800  a  year.  The  Hobolwn  Steamboat  Ferry  Com- 
pany was  incorporated  November  3d,  1821. 

On  the  22d  of  April,  1822,  the  Messrs.  Stevens  made  a 
trial  trip  of  the  first  steamboat  placed  on  the  ferry  since  1813. 
This  was  the  "Hoboken."  Thereafter  it  made  trips  "every 
hour  by  St.  Paul's  Church  clock."  On  the  21st  of  July,  1823, 
they  received  permission  to  start  the  Canal  street  ferry  and 
use  steamboats  thereon.  On  the  first  Friday  in  September, 


528  STEAM  FERRY-BOATS  AND  COMPANIES. 

1823,  the  "Pioneer"  made  its  trial  trip.  In  these  boats  the 
ladies'  cabin  was  below  deck,  carpeted,  and  warmed  by  open 
fire  places.  From  1821  to  December,  1896,  these  ferries  were 
controlled  by  the  Stevens  family,  and  of  later  years  the  Hobo-  - 
ken  Land  and  Improvement  Company.  Since  the  date  last 
r.amed  the  ferries  have  passed  into  the  hands  of  a  syndicate 
operating  the  Union  and  other  ferries  on  the  East  River..  In 
1903,  these  ferries  passed  under  the  control  of  the  Delaware 
&  Lackawanna  R.  R.  Co. 

The  Christopher  street  ferry  was  opened  for  travel  in  July, 
1836,  and  the  West  Fourteenth  street  ferry  on  May  1st,  1886. 

THE  ASSOCIATED  FERRIES  OF  THE  UNION  FERRY  COMPANY. 

\  As  early  as  the  12tb.  of  October,  1694,  the  Corporation  of 
New  York  purchased  from  William  Morris,  for  no  specific 
consideration,  his  house,  barn  and  premises,  situated  at  the 
"Ferry,"  on  Long  Island.  On  this  property  the  grantees  erected 
a  pier  and  ferry  stairs,  and  enclosed  a  cattle  yard.  Subse- 
quently, they  built  here  a  brick  and  stone  ferry  house.  On  the 
New  York  side  of  the  river  the  ferry  landing  was,  about  1700, 
removed  from  Peck  Slip  to  Fly  Market  Slip  (Maiden  lane);  and 
in  1774  the  Corporation  established  another  landing  at  Coenties 
Slip,  as  also  another  on  the  Brooklyn  side,  foot  of  the  present 
Joralemon  street.  ^ ^In  awarding  the  ferry  lease,  in  1789,  the 
persons  licensed  to  ruXthe  boats  were  required  to  pay  into  the 
city  treasury,  for  each  two  boats  from  Fly  Market  Slip,  the 
sum  of  seven  pounds  per  mbxth;  and  for  the  boats  from  Peck 
Slip  three  pounds  per  month;  In  the  year  1805,  five  cattle 
01*  horseboats  (scows  with  a  sail),  and  six  row  boats  were 
licensed  to  run  from  Fly  Market  Slip  to  the  Corporation  Dock 
at  Brooklyn. 

The  Catharine  ferry  was  first  established  in  1795.  To 
distinguish  it  from  the  "Old"  or  Fulton  ferry,  it  was  called 
the  "New  Ferry,"  and  ran  from  what  was  then  called  "New 
Ferry  street,"  in  Brooklyn,  to  the  foot  of  Catharine  street./* 
This  ferry  was  leased  to  Rodman  Bowne,  in  1811,  and  con- 
tinued to  him  and  his  brother  by  renewals  until  1852,  when 
the  ferry  was  purchased  by  Cyrus  P.  Smith  and  William  F. 
Buckley,  who  obtained  a  renewal  of  the  lease  for  ten  years 
(1853  to  1863). 


STEAM  FERRY-BOATS  AND  COMPANIES.  529 

The  rent  of  the  Middle,  or  "Old"  ferry,  from  foot  of  the 
present  Fulton  street,  in  Brooklyn,  to  the  Fly  Market  Slip,  was 
$3,050  in  1805,  but  in  May,  1811,  it  was  leased  to  Theodosius 
Hunt  and  Losee  Van  Nostrand,  for  three  years,  at  a  rental  of 
f  3,450  per  annum.  The  same  year  the  "New  Ferry"  (Catharine 
street),  was  leased  for  five  years,  at  $1,275  per  annum. 

Those  who  in  these  days  pass  quickly  and  comfortably  at 
times  over  the  East  River  in  capacious  boats,  can  scarcely 
imagine  the  discomforts,  hindrances,  and  even  dangers  which 
accompanied  ferry  travel  in  the  past,  when  accomplished  only 
by  row  boats,  flat  scows  with  sprit  sails,  or,  at  best,  periaguas, 
or  the  two-masted  sail  boats.  Ferry  business  then  was  very 
much  at  the  mercy  of  the  tides  and  wind.  At  slack  water  or 
with  a  moderate  current,  the  oarsman  had  an  easy  time,  and 
the  passengers  a  comfortable  and  quick  trip.  But  against  a 
rapid  flood  or  angry  ebb  tide,  the  boatman  could  make  little  or 
no  headway,  and  the  work  of  ferrying  was  slow  and  toilsome. 
Sometimes  a  favoring  breeze  enabled  the  sailboats  to  cross 
without  difficulty;  and,  again,  baffled  by  wind  and  tide,  they 
brought  up  near  Governor's  Island,  or  as  far  out  of  the  way 
in  the  opposite  direction.  It  may  be  expected,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, that  navigation  was  often  stopped  temporarily, 
that  delays  were  common,  and  accidents  frequent.  A  nuisance 
peculiar  to  the  ferries,  and  one  much  complained  of,  was  tJie 
manner  of  carrying  cattle.  A  large  portion  of  their  stock,  it 
will  be  remembered,  was  obtained  by  New  York  butchers  from 
Long  Island.  Boats  loaded  with  cattle,  if  caught  by  a  stiff 
breeze  while  crossing,  were  very  liable  to  be  upset.  Indeed, 
so  unsafe  were  they  considered,  especially  when  the  day  was 
windy  or  the  river  obstructed  by  floating  ice,  that  few  persons 
would  venture  to  trust  their  horses,  carriages,  cattle  or  other 
property  upon  them,  and  it  was  no  uncommon  circumstance  for 
such  persons  to  wait  a  day  or  two  for  calm  weather,  in  prefer- 
ence to  running  the  risks  of  the  passage.  The  oar  barges  for 
foot  passengers,  though  more  regular  in  crossing,  were  by  no 
means  comfortable  or  always  safe.  The  papers  of  the  day 
abound  in  notices  of  accidents,  which  prove  that  the  dangers 
of  this  means  of  transit  were  not  imaginary.  When  we  con- 
sider also  the  not  infrequent  unseaworthiness  of  these  crafts, 
the  frequent  intoxication  of  the  boatmen,  the  dilatoriness  of 


530  STEAM  FERRY-BOATS  AND  COMPANIES. 

the  boats  in  starting  upon  their  trips,  as  well  as  the  delays  and 
inconvenience  caused  by  cattle  loading,  etc.,  we  may  realize 
that  some  better  system  of  ferriage  was  much  needed. 

Eelief  came — through  the  success  of  Eobert  Fulton's  first 
steamboat,  the  "Clermont,"  and  the  first  opportunity  for  a  prac- 
tical test  of  the  peculiar  application  of  the  new  motive  power 
to  the  improvement  of  ferries,  by  the  establishment  of  a  steam 
ferry  between  New  York  City  and  Paulus  Hook,  in  1812,  sug- 
gested the  necessity  of  extending  its  use  to  the  East  River 
ferries  also. 

Robert  Fulton  and  Robert  R.  Livingston,  holding  the  ex- 
clusive right  to  use  steamboats  on  the  waters  of  New  York 
State,  in  1812  offered  to  the  Corporation  of  the  City  of  New 
York  a  proposition  to  establish  a  steamboat  ferry  from  Fly 
Market  Slip  to  Brooklyn.  After  a  number  of  consultations, 
agreements,  reports,  resolutions,  etc.,  the  proposition  was 
accepted,  and  it  was  decided  that  the  ferry  should  be  from 
Burling  Slip,  on  the  New  York  side.  As,  however,  the  slip 
was  not  then  filled  in,  and  the  cost  of  filling  was  estimated 
at  $30,000,  it  was  finally  concluded  to  establish  the  ferry  at 
Beekman's  Slip  (present  Fulton  street,  New  York),  which  was 
accordingly  purchased  for  that  purpose  by  the  Corporation 
from  Mr.  Peter  Schermerhorn.  Beekman  Slip  at  that  time 
only  extended  to  Pearl  street,  but  Fair  street,  which  then 
extended  from  Broadway  to  Cliff  street,  was  extended  through 
the  block  between  Cliff  street  and  Pearl  street,  to  join  Beekman 
Slip,  and  to  this  newly  extended  Fair  street  frmi  the 
East  River  to  Broadway,  as  well  as  to  Partition  street, 
which  extended  from  Broadway  to  the  Hudson  River,  was 
given  the  name  of  Fulton  street,  in  honor  of  the  distinguished 
citizen,  Robert  Fulton.  The  ferry  from  Fly  Market  Slip  was 
discontinued. 

The  lease  of  the  ferry  was  granted  to  Robert  Fulton  and 
William  Cutting,  his  brother-in-law,  for  twenty-five  years,  from 
the  1st  of  May,  1814,  to  May,  1839,  at  an  annual  rent  of  f  4,000 
for  the  first  eighteen  years,  and  f 4,500  for  the  last  seven  years. 
The  lessees  were  bound  to  put  on  the  ferry  one  steamboat 
similar  to  the  Paulus  Hook  ferry-boat;  )io-run  once  an  hour 
from  each  side  of  the  ferry,  from  half  an  hour  before  sunrise 
to  half  an  hour  after  sunset ;y  to  furnish,  in  addition,  such 


STEAM  FERRY-BOATS  AND  COMPANIES.  531 

barges,  etc.,  as  were  required  by  previous  acts  of  the  Legisla- 
ture; and  on  or  before  the  1st  of  May,  1819,  they  were  to 
provide  another  steamboat  in  all  respects  equal  to  the  first, 
and  when  that  was  done  a  boat  should  start  from  each  side  of 
the  river  every  half  hour.  As  a  compensation  to  the  lessees 
for  the  increase  of  expense  which  would  be  incurred  in  con- 
ducting the  ferry  upon  such  a  large  scale,  the  Corporation 
agreed  to  apply  to  the  Legislature  for  a  modification  and  in- 
crease in  the  rates  of  ferriage.  The  proposed  bill  passed  the 
Legislature.  It  included  a  reduction  of  fare  on  all  loaded  and 
unloaded  vehicles,  and  a  provision  for  commutation  for  $10 
per  annum  for  foot  passengers.  The  law  of  the  State  regu- 
lating ferries  between  New  York  and  the  Island  of  Nassau, 
passed  in  1813,  fixed  the  rate  of  foot  passengers  at  tivo  cents. 
The  Legislature  was  induced,  in  consequence  of  the  expense  of 
running  the  steamboats,  and  their  cost  of  construction,  to  raise 
the  fare  to  four  cents.  The  rate  by  barges  for  foot  passengers 
was  continued  at  two  cents. 

Matters  being  thus  satisfactorily  arranged,  Fulton  and 
Cutting  formed  a  stock  company,  entitled  "The  New  York 
and  Brooklyn  Steamboat  Perry  Association,"  with  a  capital 
of  108,000,  in  sixty  shares,  valued  at  f  1,133.33  each./^The  first 
steamboat  placed  upon  the  ferry  was  named  the  "Nassau," 
making  her  first  trip  May  10th,  1814.  The  Long  Island  "Star," 
of  May  18th,  1814,  says:  "The  steamboat  "Nassau"  crossed  the 
ferry  forty  times  on  Sunday  last.  She  is  generally  from  four 
to  eight  minutes  in  crossing.  On  the  day  of  her  commence- 
ment she  carried  at  one  time  549  passengers,  one  wagon  and 
two  chairs  with  their  horses,  and  one  saddle  horse."  X.  The 
vessel  was  also  much  employed  after  business  hours  by  pleas- 
ure parties,  in  moonlight  excursions  upon  the  river.  The 
"Nassau"  was  a  double-hull  boat,  similar  to  the  one  at  that 
time  on  the  Jersey  City  ferry.  The  hull  of  this  vessel  was 
sold,  about  1840,  to  ;he  Seamen's  Friend  Society,  for  a  floating 
bethel  at  the  foot  of  Pike  street,  New  York.  The  double-hull 
was  laid  aside,  or  sold  for  a  hay  barge,  in  1868  or  '69,  when 
a  new  hull  and  church  were  constructed. 

As  early  as  1817,  the  success  of  the  steam  ferry-boat  had 
created  in  the  public  mind  a  very  general  wish  for  the  addition 
of  another  boat.  The  company  demurred  on  the  ground  of 


532  STEAM  FERRY-BOATS  AND  COMPANIES. 

expense,  and  stated  that  teamboats,  which  had  recently  been 
introduced  upon  Catharine  ferry,  were  not  only  more  easily 
navigated,  but  much  safer  in  winter  than  steamboats.  They 
offered  to  substitute  one  in  place  of  the  required  steamboat, 
and  to  run  it  until  eight  o'clock  in  the  evenings.  This  was 
finally  agreed  to.  Yrhe  first  tearuboat  on  the  Catharine  ferry 
made  its  first  trip  April  3d,  1814,  making  twelve  during  the 
day,  averaging  eight  to  eighteen  minutes  in  crossing,  and  two 
hundred  passengers  each  trip.  These  boats  had  covered  cabins 
and  were  in  all  respects  superior  to  the  scows  or  periaguas 
which  they  replaced.^  Those  at  first  introduced  on  the  ferries 
were  "single  enders,"  that  is,  they  had  but  one  bow  and  were 
compelled  to  turn  in  crossing  the  river.  Subsequently, 
"double  enders,"  or  boats  capable  of  running  "bow  on,"  without 
turning  around,  were  used.  These  boats  were  each  made  with 
two  hulls,  about  twenty  feet  apart,  and  covered  over  by  one 
deck.  The  paddle  wheels,  turned  by  a  shaft  between  the 
two  hulls,  and  this  shaft  was  made  to  revolve  by  means  of 
cranks  on  a  small  wheel  on  either  side  of  the  shaft,  fitting  into 
a  large  wheel,  which,  with  corresponding  cranks,  was  moved 
around  a  circle  of  18  or  20  feet  diameter  by  horses,  as  in  a 
cider  mill.  By  an  invention  of  Mr.  John  GL  Murphy,  the  direc- 
tion of  the  boat  was  reversed  without  changing  the  horses, 
simply  by  lowering  the  end  of  the  shaft  on  which  the  paddles 
were  fastened  from  its  lock  with  the  cranks  of  the  large  whed. 
and  raising  the  other  end  of  the  shaft,  and  locking  it  with 
the  cranks  of  the  large  wheel,  an  operation  performed  by 
means  of  a  lever  in  less  than  half  a  minute. 

The  winter  of  1821-22  was  more  severe  than  almost  any 
experienced  since  that  time.  The  ferries  were  almost  im- 
passable from  the  quantity  of  floating  ice,  through  which  the 
ferry-boats  could  not  force  their  way,  as  the  ice  became  jammed 
between  the  ends  of  the  two  hulls. 

A  new  steam  ferry-boat,  named  the  "William  Cutting,"  and 
of  similar  construction  to  the  "Nassau,"  was  put  on  the  ferry 
in  1827.  The  detentions  at  the  ferry,  the  poor  construction  of 
the  boats,  and  the  insufficient  accommodations  furnished,  ex- 
cited great  dissatisfaction  and  animosity,  which  found  expres- 
sion in  public  meetings  and  by  complaints  in  the  newspapers. 


STEAM  FERRY-BOATS  AND  COMPANIES.  533 

In  1833,  the  controlling  interest  in  Fulton  ferry  having 
passed  into  other  hands,  two  new  steamboats,  one  named  the 
"Relief,"  for  passengers  and  freight,  and  the  other  the  "Olive 
Branch,"  for  passengers  only,  were  added  to  the  ferry.  Both 
of  these  boats  had  single  hulls  and  side  wheels. 

The  South  Ferry  was  leased  from  September  1st,  1835,  to 
May.  1839,  from  Whitehall  street  to  Atlantic  street,  Brooklyn, 
for  the  sum  of  $1,000  per  year,  but  was  not  open  for  travel 
until  May,  1836.  This  enterprise  was  brought  into  operation 
through  the  endeavors  of  property  owners  in  South  Brooklyn, 
and  the  incorporators  of  the  Long  Island  Railroad,  which  was 
building  at  this  time,  and  who  desired  to  run  their  road  down 
Atlantic  street  to  the  ferry.  Before  the  end  of  the  lease,  in 
1839,  its  expenses  were  found  to  have  far  exceeded  its  income, 
and  a  large  portion  of  its  capital  had  been  used  up. 

In  1835,  the  unexpired  lease  of  Fulton  ferry  was  sold, 
with  the  boats  and  fixtures,  for  $100,000,  and  a  subscription  to 
a  seven  per  cent,  stock  was  made  among  a  number  of  citizens 
of  Brooklyn.  Notwithstanding  prudent  management,  the  as- 
sets of  the  association  at  the  termination  of  the  lease,  in  1839, 
proved  the  stock  to  be  worth  only  68  per  cent,  of  its  face  value. 

In  the  meantime  the  incorporators  of  the  South  ferry, 
whose  lease  terminated  in  1839,  to  prevent  the  abandonment 
of  their  ferry  and  the  loss  of  the  remainder  of  the  capital  they 
had  invested  in  it,  applied  to  the  Corporation  of  New  York  to 
unite  their  ferry  with  the  Fulton  ferry  in  a  new  lease,  which 
had  been  applied  for.  This  application  met  with  opposition 
from  some  of  the  stockholders  of  the  Fulton  ferry,  who  hoped 
by  a  renewal  of  their  existing  lease  to  recover  the  capital  lost 
in  their  present  lease.  The  lease  was  subsequently  granted, 
uniting  the  Fulton  and  the  South  ferries,  for  five  years,  from 
May,  1839  to  1844,-  at  an  annual  rent  of  $12,000.  These  lessees 
organized  themselves  under  articles  of  association,  with  a 
capital  of  $183,000,  under  the  name  of  the  New  York  and 
Brooklyn  Union  Ferry  Company.  The  ferriage  for  foot  pas- 
sengers, which  was  then  four  cents,  was  reduced,  on  May  5th, 
.1 842,  to  three  cents,  and  on  February  7th,  1844,  to  two  cents. 
The  lease  required  that  no  dividends  be  made  exceeding  seven 
per  cent,  per  annum,  and  that  any  excess  of  profits  should  be 
applied  to  the  reduction  of  the  rates  of  ferriage,  or  paid  to 


534  STEAM  FERRY-BOATS  AND  COMPANIES. 

the  City  of  New  York.  In  1840,  the  lessees  commenced  building 
a  new  boat,  named  the  "Suffolk,"  with  a  single  hull,  similar  to 
the  South  Ferry  boats,  which  were  found  to  be  good  boats  to 
contend  with  ice.  In  1843,  they  commenced  building  another 
boat,  the  "Union."  Commutation,  which  had  always  existed 
on  the  Fulton  ferry,  was  extended  so  as  to  include  both  ferries. 
On  the  settlement,  at  the  termination  of  the  lease  in  1844,  the 
stock,  by  the  valuation  of  the  commissioners,  was  found  to  be 
worth  only  seventy-five  cents  on  the  dollar. 

The  renewal  of  the  lease  was  applied  for  by  the  association 
in  1844,  but  they  were  not  successful.  On  account  of  the  rival 
bids  received,  it  was  decided  to  receive  sealed  proposals  and  to 
lease  to  the  highest  bidders,  who  were  Jacob  B.  Leroy  and 
Henry  E.  Pierrepont,  the  latter  having  been  vice-president  in 
the  association.  The  lease  was  made  for  seven  years,  from 
1844  to  1851,  for  $30,500  per  year,  without  any  restrictions  as 
to  the  rates  of  ferriage  or  dividends.  This  company  was 
organized  under  the  name  of  the  "Brooklyn  Union  Ferry  Com- 
pany," with  very  much  the  same  board  of  managers  as  existed 
in  the  former  board. 

The  new  company  proceeded  actively  in  the  improvement 
of  the  ferry  landings,  and  in  replacing  the  old  boats  by  new 
ones  of  greater  power,  and  of  enlarged  and  superior  con 
struction. 

The  lessees  of  the  Union  Ferry  Company  obtained  the 
right  to  run  a  boat  to  Hamilton  avenue,  Brooklyn,  from  White- 
hall street,  at  the  annual  rent  of  one  dollar,  which  was  done 
in  October,  1846.  The  Atlantic  Dock  Company  guaranteed  to 
pa^.  as  rent,  the  interest  on  the  value  of  the  boat,  and  to  pay 
any  loss  incurred  in  running  the  ferry.  Besides  the  rent  paid, 
it  was  found  at  the  end  of  the  lease,  in  1851,  that  a  loss  of 
$25,000  was  made  b}7  the  Union  Ferry  Company. 

The  lease  of  the  Fulton,  the  South  and  the  Hamilton 
avenue  ferries,  which  expired  in  1851,  was  renewed  to  the 
former  lessees  at  the  rent  of  $35,000  for  ten  years.  Articles 
of  association  between  the  lessees  and  the  stockholders  stip- 
ulated that  all  the  surplus  at  the  end  of  the  lease,  after  paying 
8  per  cent,  dividends,  and  the  stock  at  par,  should  be  paid 
over  to  the  Brooklyn  City  Hospital  and  Brooklyn  Observatory, 
or  to  either  of  them,  thus  promising  the  stockholders  a  fair 


STEAM  FERRY-BOATS  AND  COMPANIES.  535 

return  for  the  risk  of  their  capital,  and  a  guarantee  to  the 
public  against  speculative  profit.  Two  new  boats  were  built; 
the  dusty  stoves  had  been  removed  and  the  cabins  warmed  by 
steam  pipes  during  the  former  lease;  gas  was  now  introduced 
in  place  of  oil  lamps,  and  the  roofs  of  the  cabins  raised,  giving 
better  ventilation. 

In  1853,  the  Roosevelt  street  ferry  to  Bridge  street,  Brook- 
lyn, was  established  by  F.  0.  Havemeyer  and  S.  J.  Tilden, 
and  equipped  with  three  .good  ferry-boats  and  ferry  fixtures, 
at  a  cost  of  $170,000.  In  the  same  year,  Jacob  Sharpe  and 
associates  obtained  a  lease  for  ten  years  of  a  ferry  from  Wall 
street,  New  York,  to  Montague  street,  Brooklyn,  supposing 
the  Union  Ferry  Company  would  pay  a  bonus  for  the  lease, 
but  they  declined  to  do  so.  The  lessees  furnished  the  ferry 
with  two  first-class  ferry-boats,  which  were  run  for  a  few 
months. 

In  1851,  the  leases  of  the  Catharine  street  ferry  and  the 
Gouverneur  street  ferry  were  purchased  by  C.  P.  Smith  and 
W.  F.  Bulkley;  but  they  found  in  a  few  months,  as  did  the 
lessees  of  the  Roosevelt  street,  and  the  Wall  street  ferries, 
that  their  receipts  for  foot  passengers  being  two  cents,  the 
ferries  could  not  be  maintained  in  competition  with  those  of 
the  Union  Ferry  Company,  which  charged  but  one  cent.  The 
lessees  of  these  four  ferries,  viz. :  Wall  street,  Catharine  street, 
Roosevelt  street  and  Gouverneur  street,  then  announced  that 
they  would  be  obliged  to  discontinue  their  ferries;  but  in 
November,  1853,  an  agreement  was  completed,  after  consider- 
able pressure  had  been  brought  to  bear  upon  the  Union  Ferry 
Company,  whereby  a  consolidation  of  the  four  ferries  was 
made  with  the  Union  Ferry  Company,  which  was  carried  into 
effect  on  the  6th  of  December  of  the  same  year.  The  company 
organized  under  the  General  Act  of  1854,  in  that  year,  as  an 
incorporated  company,  as  the  Union  Ferry  Company  of  Brook- 
lyn, with  a  capital  of  $800,000.  The  ferriage  for  foot  pas- 
sengers was  fixed  at  one  cent,  on  all  the  seven  united  ferries, 
and  commutation  was  continued  at  the  same  rates  as  hereto- 
fore. The  financial  results  of  the  consolidation,  however, 
greatly  disappointed  its  friends.  At  the  end  of  the  first  year 
of  the  consolidation  there  was  a  loss  of  over  $00,000  of  cap- 
ital, besides  the  surplus  which  had  been  accumulated.  It  was 


536  STEAM  FERRY-BOATS  AND  COMPANIES. 

thus  evident  that  the  ferries  could  not  be  sustained  at  one 
cent  ferriage,  and  in  1854  it  was  raised  to  two  cents,  but 
'tickets  continued  to  be  sold  at  one  and  a  half  cents.  This 
change  did  not  relieve  the  company  from  the  burden  which 
the  consolidation  had  imposed,  all  the  ferries  except  the  Fulton 
showing  a  deficiency  in  their  annual  accounts.  Accordingly, 
the  company,  on  November  1st,  1856,  advanced  the  price  of 
tickets  to  two  cents,  and  abolished  commutation.  This  afforded 
more  relief  to  the  company,  but  it  was  not  until  1859  that  it 
began  to  accumulate  surplus  earnings.  The  lease  of  the 
Gouverneur  street  ferry  expired  in  1856,  but  the  company  did 
not  renew  the  lease,  although  they  continued  to  operate  it  until 
January  10th,  1857.  The  Roosevelt  street  ferry  was  discon- 
tinued from  August  4th,  1859. 

The  leases  of  the  five  ferries,  the  Fulton,  South,  Hamilton 
avenue,  Wall  street,  and  Catharine  street,  were  sold  at  auction 
in  May,  1860,  for  ten  years,  from  May,  1861,  to  May,  1871,  to 
the  Union*  Ferry  Company  for  f  103,000  per  year,  after  much 
spirited  bidding.  In  1861,  they  erected  new  ferry  buildings 
at  Hamilton  avenue  ferry;  and  in  1863  they  built  the  iron 
ferry  building  at  Fulton  Ferry,  on  New  York  side;  and  in 
1864  the  iron  ferry  building,  foot  of  Whitehall  street;  and 
in  1871  built  the  substantial  edifice  at  the  foot  of  Fulton 
street,  Brooklyn. 

The  propriety  of  building  iron  boats  was  considered  by 
the  Directors  as  early  as  1856.  They  commissioned  their  asso- 
ciate, H.  R.  Worthington,  and  their  chief  engineer,  Henry 
McFarlan,  to  visit  Boston  and  examine  an  iron  ferry-boat 
which  was  in  use  there.  On  receiving  their  report,  the  direc- 
tors, deeming  that  sufficient  time  had  not  elapsed  in  which 
to  test  fully  the  advantages  of  iron  over  wood  in  the  construc- 
tion of  vessels,  concluded  to  adhere  for  a  while  at  least  to  the 
old  and  long-tried  material.  Further  experience,  however, 
seemed  to  favor  the  use  of  iron,  and  accordingly,  in  1871,  the 
"Fulton"  and  the  "Farragut"  were  built  with  watertight  com- 
partments. These  boats  cost  about  $77,000  each. 

In  October,  1861,  three  of  their  boats,  the  "Ellen,"  the 
"Whitehall"  and  the  "Wyandank,"  were  purchased  by  the 
United  States  government,  and  in  1863  the"Atlantic"x  "Com. 
Read"  ,  was  also  taken,  all  of  them  being  converted  into  gun- 


STEAM  FERRY-BOATS  AND  COMPANIES.  537 

boats.  In  1862,  the  Navy  Department  also  bought  from  them 
four  boats,  which  were  then  in  course  of  construction,  "Ellen," 
'Whitehall,"  "Clinton"  and  "Somerset,"  two  of  which,  the 
"Clinton"  and  the  "Somerset,"  they  purchased  from  the  gov- 
ernment July  12th,  1865,  and  rebuilt  for  service  on  the  ferries. 
The  "Ellen"  remained  South  after  the  war  was  closed.  The 
"Whitehall"  was  destroyed  by  fire  at  Old  Point,  Va.,  March 
10th,  1862,  and  the  "Wyandank"  was  taken  for  service  at 
the  Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis,  Md.  The  Navy  Department 
paici  for  the  "Atlantic,"  $91,000;  "Com.  Morris,"  $42,000,  and 
the  "Somerset,"  $69,689.  The  cost  of  refitting  was  included  in 
the  latter. 

Previous  to  the  Brooklyn  Bridge  project,  the  company, 
in  order  to  add  facilities  at  the  Fulton  ferry,  made  an  addi- 
tional slip  north  of  the  upper  ferry  slip  in  Brooklyn,  which 
they  had  in  use  but  about  four  years,  when  the  bridge  en- 
gineers located  one  of  the  bridge  towers  in  it,  which,  of  course, 
cut  off  its  further  use. 

The  renewal  of  the  lease  from  1871  to  1881  was  made  to 
the  company,  at  a  rent  of  one  dollar  per  annum  and  taxes, 
on  condition  that  they  reduce  the  fare  for  foot  passengers 
between  the  hours  of  5  and  7.30  in  the  morning  and  5  and 
7.30  in  the  evening,  to  one  cent,  and  during  other  hours  of 
the  day  and  night  to  be  two  cents.  This  lease  was  subse- 
quently held  to  be  irregular  and  invalid,  and  in  March,  1876, 
the  Union  Ferry  Company  was  sued  for  rent,  but  after  a 
tedious  struggle  in  the  courts  a  compromise  and  settlement 
was  made,  in  1881,  by  a  payment  to  the  city  of  three  hundred 
thousand  dollars  on  the  lease  from  1871  to  1881.  A  new 
lease  was  made  for  the  term  of  five  years,  from  May  1st,  1881, 
to  May  1st,  1886,  at  a  rental  of  12%  per  cent,  of  the  gross 
receipts  from  ferriage  at  all  the  five  ferries  leased  to  the 
coirpany.  In  1886  a  lease  for  another  term  of  five  years,  from 
May  1st,  1886,  to  May  1st,  1891,  was  made  to  the  Union  Ferry 
Company,  at  a  rental  of  12%  per  cent,  of  the  gross  receipts. 

Since  1896  the  Union  ferries,  with  many  of  the  upper 
East  River  ferries,  have  been  consolidated  under  one  manage- 
ment. 

All  of  the  improvements  made  on  these  ferries  of  late 
years  have  been  on  those  running  to  the  lower  part  of  the 


538  STEAM  FERRY-BOATS  AND   COMPANIES. 

city,  where  large  and  finely  equipped  ferry-boats  have  been 
in  service. 

V  The  following  ferries  were  established  previous  to  1836. 
viz.: 

From  New  York: 

Fulton  Ferry  to  Brooklyn. 

Catharine  street  ferry  to  Brooklyn. 

Peck  Slip  ferry  to  Williamsburg. 

Grand  street  ferry  to  Williamsburg. 

Walnut  street  ferry  to  Navy  Yard,  Brooklyn. 

Hell  Gate  ferry  to  Astoria,  Long  Island. 

Staten  Island  ferry  to  Staten  Island. 

Jersey  City  ferry  from  Courtland  street. 

Hoboken  ferry  from  Barclay  street. 

Hudson  River: 

Newburgh  ferry  to  Fishkill,  N.  Y. 
Caldwell's  ferry  to  Peekskill. 
Poughkeepsie  ferry  to  New  Paltz. 
Albany  ferry  to  Greenbush. 
Hudson  ferry  to  Athens. 

Boston,  Mass.: 
East  Boston  ferry. 
Winnesimmit  ferry. 

Philadelphia,  Pa. : 
Market  street  ferry  to  Camden. 
Arch  street  ferry  to  Camden. 
South  street  ferry  to  Camden. 
Browning's  ferry  to  Camden. 
Walnut  street  ferry  to  Camden. 

The  first  steam  ferry-boat  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  was  the 
"Camden,"  from  Market  street  to  Springer's  ferry,  at  Camden, 
on  May  10th,  1812.^ 

Greenpoint  ferry,  from  East  Tenth  street,  New  York,  was 
established  in  1853.  Lease  dated  October  30th,  1853. 

St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  ferry,  from  East  Twenty-third 
street  to  Calvary  Cemetery  landing,  through  Newton  Creek, 
was  established  in  1853.  This  ferry,  after  running  a  few 


TOW-BOATS.  539 

years,  was  purchased  by  the  lessee  of  the  Greenpoint  ferry 
and  the  boats  run  to  Greenpoint.  Original  lease  made  for  ten 
years  from  December  27th,  1848. 

Pavonia  ferry,  from  the  terminal  of  the  New  York  and 
Erie  Kailroad  at  Pavonia,  to  Chambers  street,  New  York,  was 
opr-ned  in  1801,  and  to  West  Twenty-third  street  in  1868. 

Hunter's  Point  ferry  to  East  Thirty-fourth  street,  New 
York,  was  opened  in  1856,  and  to  James  Slip  in  1865. 

Grand  street,  New  York,  to  Broadway,  Williamsburg,  was 
opened  in  1863. 

Houston  street  ferry  to  Grand  street,  Williamsburg,  was 
leased  by  the  company  in  March,  1840. 

Broadway,  Williamsburg,  to  East  Forty-second  street, 
opened  on  December  2d,  1901. 


TOWBOATS. 

The  first  steam  towboat  built  for  the  purpose  of  towing 
vessels  was  the  "Kuf  us  King,"  built  by  Smith  &  Dimon,  for  the 
New  York  Dry  Dock  Company,  that  was  established  in  1825, 
at  the  foot  of  East  Tenth  street,  New  York,  to  tow  ves- 
sels to  and  from  their  railway.  This  vessel  was  but  102'xl9'x 
7',  with  a  square  engine  of  34"  cylinder  by  4  feet  stroke,  being 
like  the  small  passenger  boats  of  that  day.  Prior  to  this 
the  small  passenger  boats  during  the  dull  seasons  would 
engage  in  towing  the  large  sailing  vessels  to  and  from  the 
"Hook." 

After  the  opening  of  the  Erie  Canal,  in  the  fall  of  1825, 
there  was  a  new  field  of  enterprise  opened  to  the  capitalist. 
Tt  must  be  remembered  that  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States  had  but  a  few  months  before  given  its  decision  in  the 
case  of  the  free  navigation  of  the  waters  of  the  United  States, 
and  many  passenger  steamboats  were  now  building  for  that 
service.  But  what  to  do  with  those  that  had  been  in  service, 
that  were  inferior  in  speed  and  accommodations  to  the  new 
vessels,  was  the  question  to  many  owners.  The  only  use  they 
could  be  put  to  was  to  try  their  fortune  at  towing.  Some, 
of  the  new  ones  built  in  the  first  few  years  of  the  free  naviga- 
tion of  the  waters  soon  proved  their  unfitness  for  the  pas- 


540  TOW-BOATS. 

seiiger  business,  and  they  soon  passed  to  towboats.  After 
a  few  years  the  business  of  towing  on  the  Hudson  River  passed 
into  the  hands  of  incorporated  companies,  so  that  by  1830 
there  was  the  Swiftsure  line,  controlled  by  A.  Van  Sant- 
voord;  the  New  York  and  Albany  line,  by  John  Newton,  and 
the  Troy  line,  by  Philip  Hart. 

The  first  tugboat  built  for  general  service  would  appear 
to  have  been  the  "Hercules,"  of  190  tons,  built  at  New  York, 
in  1832,  by  Brown  &  Bell,  for  O.  Mauran  and  others,  who  run 
a  line  of  coastwise  packets.  The  experiment  could  not  have 
proved  profitable,  as  at  a  later  date  she  had  been  altered 
for  other  service. 

The  earliest  towboat  companies  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  of 
which  there  appears  to  be  any  record,  were,  in  1836,  those 
of  the  Lehigh  Coal  Company,  the  Philadelphia  Steam  Towboat 
Company,  towing  on  the  Delaware  River  and  bay,  and  the 
Delaware  Coal  and  Schuylkill  Towboat  Company.  Most  of 
their  vessels  were  old  passenger  boats. 

Prior  to  1816  there  were  comparatively  few  sailing  vessels 
larger  than  schooners  calling  at  our  ports,  but.  after  that  date 
the  American  sailing  packets  from  Europe  of  about  600  tons 
each  required,  in  many  cases,  a  towboat  to  bring  them  to  their 
dock,  that  gave  employment  at  times  to  the  smaller  passenger 
steamboats.  These  packets  of  increased  size  and  number  re- 
quired attendance  on  arrival  until  about  1840,  when  the 
clipper  ships  of  still  larger  size  made  their  appearance,  and 
it  was  at  that  time  the  side-wheel  tugboat  was  brought  into 
general  use  for  bVth  harbor  and  outside  towing,  though  it 
was  not  for  some  years  that  vessels  suitable  for  sea  towing 
were  built.  At  a  later  date  came  the  "Jacob  Bell,"  that  was 
in  government  service  during  the  Civil  War,  then  the  New 
York  "Hook"  boats,  the  "Ocean,"  "Screamer,"  "Mercury," 
"Satellite,"  'Huntress,"  "Achilles,"  "Ajax,"  "Underwriter,"  and 
"Titan."  The  largest  of  these  side-wheel  tugboats  was  the 
"Titan,"  built  by  Thomas  Collyer,  in  1852,  for  Russell  Sturgis 
&  Co.  This  vessel  was  175'x29'xlO'6,  with  a  Morgan  Iron 
Works  beam  engine  of  60"xlO  feet  stroke.  She  was  a  heavily 
built  and  extra  strong  fastened  vessel  for  her  dimensions,  to 
withstand  the  heavy  weather  she  would  be  subjected  to  during 
outside  work.  This  was  one  of  a  fleet  composed  of  the 


TOW-BOATS.  541 

"Achilles,"  "Huntress"  and  "Ajax."  The  "Titan"  met  her 
fate  when  sent  to  give  assistance  to  the  ship  "John  Currier," 
that  was  ashore  at  Fenwick  Island,  on  New  Jersey  coast,  by 
getting  ashore  herself  at  Squan  Inlet,  on  September  3d,  1856, 
in  a  heavy  gale,  where  she  became  almost  a  total  loss.  Her 
engine  was  recovered,  and  a  few  years  later  placed  in  the 
Hudson  Kiver  day  line  steamboat  "Daniel  Drew."  These 
large  tugboats  appear  to  have  been  unfortunate.  The  "Ajax" 
went  ashore  at  Long  Branch,  N.  J.,  during  an  easterly  gale 
on  February  1st,  1858,  and  the  "Hercules"  was  destroyed  by 
lire  while  lying  at  Sandy  Hook  dock  on  May  14th,  1858. 

Then  came  the  "Leviathan,"  constructed  by  Eckford  Webb 
in  1853,  for  Spofford  Tileston  &  Co.,  with  dimensions  of  179'x 
28'5xll'6,  with  a  beam  engine  of  60"xlO  feet  stroke,  and  water 
wheels  of  291/o  feet  by  8  feet  4  inches  face;  two  return-flue 
boilers,  consuming  one  ton  of  anthracite  coal  per  hour,  and 
operated  under  an  average  steam  pressure  of  35  pounds.  Her 
owners  advised  the  builders,  after  she  had  been  in  service  a 
short  time,  that  the  vessel  had  been  sent  to  Warren,  Rhode 
Island,  and  that  the  time  from  the  Battery,  at  New  York,  to 
Stratford  Lightboat,  was  3  hours  and  8  minutes;  to  New 
London  Lightboat,  5  hours  and  35  minutes,  and  to  Newport 
wharf,  8  hours  and  5  minutes.  This  is  phenomenal  for  a  vessel 
of  her  size,  but  the  conditions  were  no  doubt  more  than  usually 
favorable.  She  was  withal  the  most  powerful  tugboat  on  the 
coast  at  that  time,  and  of  much  higher  speed  than  many  of 
our  river  boats.  This  vessel  was  destroyed  by  fire  on  March 
20th,  1856,  while  towing  a  vessel,  and  when  about  four  miles 
from  Sandy  Hook  Lightship.  After  the  "Leviathan"  was 
burned  the  "William  H.  Webb"  was  built  by  William  H. 
Webb,  for  James  Chambers  and  Henry  A.  Heiser,  for  the 
same  service  of  Sandy  Hook  towing.  This  vessel  was  some- 
what larger  than  her  predecessor,  being  190'x31'xl2',  with  a 
pair  of  beam  engines,  each  of  44"xlO  feet  stroke,  with  water 
wheels  of  30  feet  diameter.  This  was  the  last  of  the  large 
side-wheel  tugboats  on  the  coast,  and  she  is  well  remembered 
by  many  of  the  old  steamboat  men  around  New  York  at  this 
day.  For  a  tugboat  she  was  certainly  the  head  of  her  class 
in  appearance  and  ability.  After  doing  service  in  New  York 
waters  until  June,  1859,  she  was  sold  to  New  Orleans  mer- 


542  TOW-BOATS.  \ 

chants  for  towing  the  large  sailing  vessels  from  and  to  the 
passes  to  New  Orleans.  The  towing  on  the  lower  Mississippi 
River  at  this  time  was  controlled  by  one  firm,  and  the  vessel 
was  purchased  to  break  the  monopoly  from  which  the  mer- 
chants of  New  Orleans  had  suffered  so  long.  When  the  Civil 
War  broke  ou  t  in  1861  the  vessel  was  still  engaged  in  towing, 
but  was  at  once  taken  by  the  Confederate  naval  authorities 
and  converted  into  a  gunboat,  and  for  a  time  did  service  in 
the  lower  Mississippi  River  and  Gulf  of  Mexico,  but  when  the 
river  was  blockaded  was  taken  to  the  upper  Mississippi  Kiver 
and  Ked  River,  having  meanwhile  been  fitted  as  a  ram.  Here 
she  remained  during  all  the  period  of  the  war,  with  but  one  or 
two  brushes  with  the  Union  naval  vessels.  The  greatest  repu- 
tation she  made  was  when  the  war  was  all  over,  and  the  cause 
in  which  the  vessel  had  been  engaged  was  found  to  be  hope- 
lessly lost,  that  the  officer,  a  Captain  Bead,  who  had  been 
in  the  United  States  Navy,  in  command,  resolved  to  take  the 
desperate  chances  of  running  the  blockade  of  the  river  to  the 
pusses  and  then  endeavor  to  reach  Havana,  Cuba.  She  left 
the  Eed  River  on  April  22d,  1865,  and  passed  down  the  Mis- 
sissippi River,  and  was  opposite  the  city  of  New  Orleans  at 
noon  of  the  24th  of  the  month.  When  about  25  miles  below 
the  city  she  met  the  United  States  naval  steamer  "Richmond," 
on  her  way  to  the  city,  who  gave  her  one  broadside,  and  being 
pursued  by  one  of  the  United  States  gunboats,  was  placed 
between  two  fires  that  compelled  her  crew  to  run  her  ashore 
at  Culls  Pass,  when  she  was  set  on  fire  and  destroyed.  There 
was  much  excitement  in  New  Orleans  at  the  time  of  her 
passing,  on  account  of  the  daring  displayed  in  such  an  action, 
and  with  such  small  prospect  of  success. 

These  large  side- wheel  tugboats  were  at  the  height  of 
their  usefulness  when  the  "W.  H.  Webb"  was  sold.  The  screw- 
propeller  tugboat  was  in  service  at  that  day,  but  had  not  as 
yet  taken  a  firm  hold  on  the  business  in  hand.  The  first  of 
the  propeller  tugboats  was  named  "Samson,"  hull  built  by 
William  Cramp,  and  the  machinery  by  Reanie,  Neafie  &  Co., 
of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  in  1850.  In  1851,  the  same  builders  con- 
structed a  propeller  tugboat  for  San  Francisco  harbor,  with 
a  pair  of  vertical  direct-acting  engines.  This  was  the  first  of 
that  type  in  tugboats.  The  next  year  L  P.  Morris  &  Co.,  of 


TOW-BOATS.  543 

Philadelphia,  Pa.,  built  the  machinery  for  the  tugboat  "Amer- 
ica," for  towing  on  the  Delaware  River  to  the  Capes.  This 
vessel  was  135  feet  long,  and  was  fitted  with  a  pair  of  trunk 
engines,  each  having  cylinders  32"x30".  She  was  fitted  with 
two  masts  and  sails.  In  1853,  the  "Franklin"  was  built  at 
Albany,  N.  Y.,  for  towing  service,  but  was  shor.tly  after  taken 
through  the  Erie  Canal  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  for  the  same  kind 
of  work.  In  1852,  there  was  the  propeller  "Rescue,"  built 
for  New  York  harbor,  with  a  pair  of  vertical  direct-acting 
engines.  It  will  be  noted  that  these  engines  were  operated 
imder  a  steam  pressure  of  not  exceeding  40  pounds  to  the 
square  inch.  The  higher  steam  pressure  did  not  come  into 
use  until  1860,  when  the  "Resolute"  and  the  "Reliance"  were 
built  by  B.  C.  Terry,  with  the  machinery  by  Cobb  &  Field,  at 
Jersey  City,  N.  J.,  for  Capt.  Albert  De  Groot.  These  vessels 
were  intended  for  harbor  towing,  and  were  each  93'xl6'x7'6, 
with  engine  17"xl7",  having  a  return  tubular  boiler,  with 
4-inch  tubes  and  two  furnaces,  and  were  operated  under  an 
average  working  pressure  of  75  pounds  of  steam.  The  pro- 
peller was  7  feet  eight  inches  diameter.  These  tugboats  were 
completed  in  September,  1860,  and  in  the  following  May  the 
Navy  Department  purchased  them  for  picket  boats,  for  f  15,000 
each.  The  "Reliance"  was  captured  on  the  Rappahannock 
River,  August  23d,  1863,  and  the  "Resolute"  was  sold  after  the 
war  was  over.  The  boiler  of  one  of  these  boats  exploded  while 
the  vessel  lay  at  the  dock,  and  wrecked  things  generally. 

There  were  many  of  these  early  propeller  tugboats  that 
were  fitted  with  two  separate  engines  connected  to  the  same 
shaft.  What  brought  about  the  greatest  change  in  favor  cf 
the  propeller  was  the  adoption  of  the  compound  engine,  for 
when  that  type  of  engine  demonstrated  its  economy  of  fuel  the 
side-wheel  tugboat  was  doomed,  except  for  some  special  work. 
The  development  of  the  propeller  tugboat  since  then  has  been 
rapid.  One  of  the  marked  features  of  its  growth  has  been 
the  size  and  power  required  for  those  towing  coal  barges 
from  port  to  port  along  our  sea  coast.  There  are  several  of 
them  as  large  as  many  of  the  gunboats  that  were  in  the  United 
States  Navy  during  the  Civil  War  on  blockade  duty. 


544  TOW-BOATS.  I 

TJie  first  tugboat  on  the  Atlantic  coast  having  a  com- 
pound engine  was  the  "H.  F.  Hamill,"  by  adding  a  14-inch 
high-pressure  cylinder  on  a  24-inch  square  low-pressure  cylin- 
der. This  was  done  either  in  January  or  February,  1870,  at 
Jersey  City,  N.  J. 


CHAPTER  X. 
HIGH    SPEED. 

H  E  question  is  very  often  asked,  what  is  the  high- 
est speed  that  has  been  attained  by  our 
American  river  steamboats?  An  answer  is 
as  often  given  of  a  boat  having  made  the  run  be- 
tween certain  points,  in  a  stated  time,  that  shows 
the  vessel  was  traveling  "at  the  rate  of"  from  25  to  30  miles 
per  hour;  very  seldom  is  it  found  less  than  the  former 
figure.  This  may  be  very  satisfactory  to  some  people.  Men  of 
experience  in  such  matters  know  that  the  number  of  passenger 
steamboats  able  to  obtain  a  velocity  of  18  miles  per  hour 
for  one  or  more  hours  is  not  five  per  cent,  of  the  whole  number, 
and  when  you  go  higher  up  in  the  scale  of  velocity  until  you 
reach  22  or  23  miles  an  hour,  then  you  can  almost  count  them  on 
the  fingers  of  both  hands.  Otherwise,  the  number  of  passenger 
steamboats  that  are  able  to  attain  23  miles  an  hour  for  one 
hour  even  is  very  limited  indeed  in  numbers.  So  far  as  25  miles 
an  hour  is  concerned,  that  has  only  been  found  in  torpedo-boat 
destroyers,  torpedo  boats,  and  a  few  racing  machines.  This 
question  of  speed  does  not  entertain  any  surrounding  condi- 
tions. The  main  factor  that  is  the  cause  of  the  miscalculation 
of  the  speed  of  a  steamboat  is  the  distance  between  the  points 
covered  by  the  vessel. 

This  "bottling  up'7  the  steam  in  the  boilers  of  a  steamboat 
and  starting  it  off  as  a  squirt-gun  for  a  few  miles,  over  a  course 
where  there  is  sufficient  depth  of  water  so  it  will  not  touch  the 
bottom,  and  then  make  a  claim  of  anything  over  20  miles  an 
hour,  deceives  but  few  people.  The  single  measured  mile 
course  was  popular  at  one  time,  but  that  has  been  laid  aside  as 
having  served  its  day, 

A  steamboat  that  can  be  taken  at  times  on  her  regular 
business  trips,  with  a  clean  bottom  and  machinery  in  good 
order,  and  put  through  her  paces  with  good  tides  and  atmos- 


546  HIGH   SPEED. 

pheric  conditions  in  her  favor,  and  make  21  miles  and  over  an 
hour  for  three  or  more  hours,  is  a  rare  exception.  A  few  have 
made  exceptional  time  but  once  and  would  live  upon  a  reputa- 
tion then  gained  that  could  hardly  be  repeated,  while  a  less 
number  have  made  phenomenal  time  and  could  be  expected  to 
repeat  it  under  similar  conditions. 

The  analysis  of  the  logs  of  some  of  the  Long  Island  Sound 
steamboats  indicate  that  some  of  the  so-called  fast  ones  on  the 
Hudson  river  have  but  a  small  margin  of  safety  from  a  blighted 
reputation  for  speed  when  the  figures  of  the  best  vessels  on  the 
Long  Island  Sound  and  Hudson  River  are  examined.  But  it 
must  not  be  forgotten  there  was  a  race  on  Lake  Erie  in  1901 
where  over  21  miles  an  hour  was  made  through  the  water. 
That  leaves  a  very  small  margin  for  many  of  the  eastern  boats. 

It  will  be  remembered  this  covers  only  our  sound;  river 
and  lake  navigation,  and  has  no  relation  whatever  to  our  sea- 
going steamers. 

)(  To  show  that  the  position  taken  on  this  subject  is  sub- 
stantiated by  facts  and  figures,  copies  of  the  logs  of  a  few  of 
our  Long  Island  Sound  steamboats  that  will  be  readily  recog- 
nized as  being  among  those  of  the  highest  speed  of  their  day, 
both  past  and  present,  are  presented: 

"  LEXINGTON." 

New  York  to  Providence,  R.  I.,  June  3,  1835. 

A.M.        Elapsed  Time. 

Left  Providence 5.55  H- M- 

"      Newport    7.49  1.54 

Passed  Beaver  Tail  Light 8.08  .19 

"       Point  Judith 8.41  .33 

"      Watch  Hill 10.04  1.23 

"      Little  Gull  Light 11.04  1.00 

"      Plum  Island 11.27  .23 

"      Faulkner's  Island  Light 12.51  1.24 

"      Old  Field  Point 2.38  1.47 

"      Eaton's  Neck 3.37  .59 

"      Sands  Point 4.50  1.13 

«      Throgg's  Neck  5.16  .26 

Arrived  Pier  1,  North  River 6.09  .53 

Dock  to  dock 12.14 


HIGH   SPEED. 


547 


Speed  of  vessel  per  hour  from  Point  Judith  to  Throgg's 
Keck,  14.9  miles;  from  Watch  Hill  to  Sand's  Point,  15.12  miles; 
from  Little  Gull  Island  Light  to  Sand's  Point  Light,  15.29 
miles;  from  Faulkner's  Island  Light  to  Sands  Point  Light, 
15.16  miles,  and  from  Sands  Point  Light  to  the  Battery  at 
New  York,  17.26  miles  per  hour.  High  water  at  Hell  Gate 
about  3.15  P.  M. 

The  record  time  prior  to  this  was  by  the  "Boston,"  in 
June,  1832,  of  14  hours  and  39  minutes.  V 


"C.    VANDERBILT." 
New  York  and  Stonington,  Conn.,  June  7,  1847. 


Elapsed 

P.  M.  Time. 

Left  Pier  1,  North  River: 

Passed  Point  of  Hook . . .  5.16  .... 

"      Throggs  Point...   6.05  .49 

"      Sands  Point 6.24  .19 

"      Huntington 7.28  1.04 

"      Stratford     Light- 
ship      8.21  .53 

"      Faulkner's  Island 

Light  9.38  1.17 

«      *Saybrook  Light.  10.29  .51 
"      Bartlett  Keef 

Lightship    ....11.04  .35 
Arrived  Stonington 

Wharf  11.48  .44 

6.32 


Tide. 


Ebb  against 

Boat. 

Ebb  with 

Boat. 


*  There  was  no  light  vessel  at  Long  Sand  Shoal,  off  Cornfield 
Point,  until  1865.    Prior  to  this  the  time  was  taken  at  Saybrook  Light. 


548 


HIGH    SPEED. 


Add  12  minutes  from  dock  to  Corlears  Hook — or  Point  of 
the  Hook — on  the  East  River,  makes  it  6  houns  and  44  minutes 
from  dock  to  dock.  The  speed  of  the  vessel  from  Sands  Point 
to  Stratford  Shoal  Lightship  was  18.21  miles  per  hour.  From 
Sands  Point  to  Bartlett's  Reef  Lightship,  18.89  miles  per  hour ; 
and  from  Faulkuers  Island  Light  to  Bartlett's  Reef  Lightship, 
19.51  miles  per  hour. 


"  OREGON." 

New  York  to  Stonington,  Conn.,  June  8,  1847. 


Passed  Point  of  Hook . , 


P.M. 
5.15 
5.57 
6.15 


Throggs  Point. 
"       Sands  Point.  .  . 
"      Huntington  ......   7.13 

"      Stratford      Shoal 

Lightship  ....   8.0G 
"      Faulkner's  Island 

Light    ........  9.20 

"       Saybrook  Light .  .  1 0.09 
"      Bartlett's  Reef 

Lightship    ....10.39 
Arrived  Stonington  Dock.11.18 


Elapsed 
Time. 
H.  M. 

.42 
.18 

.58, 

.53 

1.14 
.49 

.30 
.39 

6.03 


Tide. 

First  ebb 
against 

Boat. 
Ebb  with 

Boat. 


Add  12  minutes  from  Pier  1  North  River  to  Point  of  Hook, 
makes  6  hours  and  15  minutes  from  dock  to  dock.  Speed  of 
the  vessel  from  Sands  Point  to  Stratford  Shoal  Lightship, 
19.19  miles  per  hour;  from  Sands  Point  to  Faulkners  Island 
Light,  19.58  miles  per  hour;  and  from  Stratford  Shoal  Light- 
ship to  Bartlett's  Reef  Lightship,  20.66  miles  per  hour. 


HIGH   SPEED. 


549 


"C.    VANDERBILT." 
New  York  to  Stonington,  Conn.,  May  21,  1850. 

Elapsed 
Time. 

Left  Pier  2,  North  River:  H.  M. 

Passed  Point  of  Hook 

"      Throggs  Point 41 

"       Sands  Point 19 

"      Huntington   1.02 

"       Stratford  Shoal  Lightship.     .55 
"       Fanlkners  Island  Light. .  .   1.23 

"      Saybrook  Light .48 

"      Bartletts  Reef  Lightship..     .30 

To  Stonington  Dock 40 

6.18 
Add  12  minutes  to  Point  of  the 

Hook  .  .12 


Tide. 

Flood. 
a 

a 

Ebb  with 
.  Boat. 

u 


Dock  to  Dock 6.30 


"  METROPOLIS." 
New  York  to  Fall  River,  June  9,  1855. 

Elapsed 

P.  M.  Time. 

Left  Pier  3,  North  River:    5.09  H.  M. 
Passed  Throggs  Point... .   6.00          .51 

"      Sands  Point 6.18          .18 

"       Huntington 

Light  7.18  1.00 

"       Stratford     Light- 
ship   8.09          .51 

"      Faulkners   Island 

Light   9.23  1.14 

"  Saybrook  Light..  10.10  .47 
"  Gull  Island  Light.10.43  .33 
"  Stonington  due  N.11.13  .30 

u      Watch  Hill  Light.11.18          .05 

"      Point  Judith 12.20  1.02 

Arrived  at  Newport 1.00  .40 


Tide. 
Flood. 

a 

Ebb. 


550 


HIGH   SPEED. 


Kunning  time,  New  York  to  Fall  River,  8  hours  and  51  min- 
utes, on  the  authority  of  Erastus  W.  Smith,  Superintending 
Engineer  of  the  Line  at  the  time. 

The  run  from  Execution  Rockg  (or  Sands  Point)  to  Point 
Judith  was  made  at  a  speed  of  20.26  miles  per  hour;  from  Strat- 
ford Lightship  to  Watch  Hill  Light  at  a  speed  of  21.24  miles 
per  hour;  and  from  Saybrook  Light  to  Watch  Hill  Light  at  a 
speed  of  21.93  miles  per  hour. 


"  CITY    OF    BOSTON." 
New  York  and  New  London,  Conn.,  July  4,  1865. 


P.M. 

Left  Pier  39,  North  River.  5.02 
Passed  Throggs  Point. . .  5.57 

"      Sands  Point  6.17 

"      Huntington  7.17 

"      Stratford     Light- 
ship   8.09 

"      Faulkner's  Island 

Light 9.25 

"      Cornfield      Light- 
ship   10.06 

"      New  London 

Light  10.54 

Arrived    at    Dock,    New 

London   .         .  11.07 


Elapsed 
Time. 
H.M. 

.55 

.20 

1.00 

.52 

1.16 

.41 

.48 
.13 


Tide. 
Flood. 

u 
{I 

Ebb. 


6.05 


Average  speed  per  hour  the  whole  distance,  19.73  miles. 
Between  Execution  Rocks  Light  and  New  London  Light  20.19 
miles  per  hour;  and  from  Stratford  Shoal  Lightship  to  New 
London  Light  20.98  miles  per  hour;  and  from  Cornfield  Light- 
ship to  New  London  Light  at  a  speed  of  23  miles  per  hour.  The 
vessel  was  running  light,  with  little  if  any  freight  and  but  few 
passengers,  on  account  of  it  being  a  holiday. 


HIGH  SPEED. 


551 


"  RHODE 
New  York  and  Stonington,  Conn 

ISLAND." 
.,  as  a  day  boat,  August 

30,  1873. 

Elapsed 

P.M. 

Time. 

Tide. 

Rev. 

Left 

23d  St.,  East  River.. 

2.33 

H.M. 

First  of 

Passed  Hpll  Gate  

2.48 

.15 

Ebb 

« 

Rikers  Island  .... 

2.59 

.11 

against 

(t 

Whitestone  

3.10 

.11 

Boat. 

tt 

Throggs  Point...  . 

3.16 

.06 

'     tt 

Stepping  Stones  .  . 

3.22 

.06 

it 

Hart's  Island  

3.27 

.05 

Ebb. 

18% 

it 

Sands  Point  Light 

3.35 

.08 

ti 

Captains  Island  " 

4.04 

.29 

a 

Huntington         " 

4.35 

.31 

Ebb. 

18i/2 

tt 

Stratford  Light 

Ship  

5.30 

.55 

a 

Faulkner's  Island 

Li«"ht 

6.47 

1.17 

Ebb. 

18% 

S3 

tt 

Cornfield    Light 

Ship 

7.30 

.43 

a 

Bartlett's  Reef 

Light  Ship  

8.08 

.38 

Ebb. 

18i/2 

tt 

North     Hummock 

Light  . 

8.25 

.17 

u 

Eel  Grass  Light.  . 

8.39 

.14 

Ebb. 

18% 

Arrived  Stonington  Dock. 

8.49 

.10 

6.16 


Allowing  24  minutes  from  Stonington  Pier,  North  River, 
to  Pier  at  23d  street,  East  River,  would  make  the  time  from 
Stonington  Line  Pier  on  North  River  to  Stonington  as  6  hours 
and  40  minutes.  On  this  trip  between  Cornfield  Lightship  and 
Bartletts  Reef  Lightship  a  speed  of  21.17  miles  per  hour  was 
made.  An  increase  of  speed  is  noticed  in  this  locality  in  all  the 
records  given  when  going  to  the  eastward,  on  account  of  the 
increased  tidal  flow  from  Cornfield  Lightship  to  and  through 
"the  Race."  Between  Stratford  Lightship  and  North  Hum- 
mock Light  a  speed  of  20.05  miles  per  hour  was  attained  for 
58?5  miles, 


552 


HIGH   SPEED. 


"CITY  OF  LOWELL." 

New  York  and  New  London,  Conn.    Iron  propeller  wheels. 
October  9,  1894. 


Elapsed 

P.M. 

Time. 

Tide. 

H.  M. 

Left  New  York,  Pier  40.  . 

5.33 

First  of  ebb 

Passed  Throggs  Neck  .... 

6.28 

.55 

at  the  "Gate." 

Last  of  flood 

"      Sands  Point 

against 

Light  . 

6.44 

.16 

Boat. 

"       Huntington  Light 

7.38 

.54 

Slack  water. 

"      Stratford       Shoal 

Ebb  with 

Liffht   . 

8.23 

.45 

Boat. 

"      Faulkner's  Island 

Light  ........  9.341/2 

"      Cornfield    Light 

Ship  .........  10.13 

"      Bartlett's  Keef 

Light  Ship....  10.47 
"      New  London 

Light  ........  11.00 

New  London  —  Steam  off.  11.10 


38i/2 
.34 

.13 
.10 


Kunning  time,  dock  to  dock,  5  hours  and  37  minutes. 

Kunning  time,  Throggs  Neck  to  New  London  Light,  4  hours 
and  32  minutes.  Speed  per  hour  over  whole  distance  run  of 
120.2  miles  is  21.4  miles.  From  Throggs  Neck  to  New  London 
Light,  21.9  miles;  from  Stratford  Shoal  Light  to  New  London 
Light,  22.05  miles  ;  and  from  Cornfield  Light  Ship  to  New  Lon- 
don Light,  at  a  speed  of  23.5  miles  per  hour  with  last  of  the 
ebb  tide. 

On  October  11,  1894  —  two  days  after  the  previous  trip  —  the 
"City  of  Lowell"  made  another  fast  run  to  the  eastward  from 
dock  to  dock,  in  5  hours  and  36  minutes;  and  from  Stratford 
Shoal  Light  to  New  London  Light  in  2  hours  30%  minutes, 


HIGH   SPEED. 


553 


or  at  a  speed  of  23.04  miles  per  hour.  The  best  time  in  the 
Sound  outside  the  "Race"  of  which  there  is  any  available 
record,  was  made  on  this  trip  from  Stratford  Shoal  Light  to 
Cornfield  Light  Ship  in  1  hour  42y2  minutes,  from  8.35%  P.  M. 
to  10.18  P.  M.,  or  at  a  speed  of  23.02  miles  per  hour. 


"CITY   OF   LOWELL." 
Bronze  propeller  wheels.    May  30,  1895. 


Elapsed 
P.  M.        Time. 
H.  M. 


Tide. 

Left  New  York,  Pier  40  5.37      Last  of  ebb 

Passed  Throggs  Neck..  6.50        1.13        against  boat. 
"      Sands  Point...  7.06          .16          Last  of  ebb 
"      Huntington  with  boat. 

Light  ......  7.591/2      .531/2 

"      Stratford  Shoal 

Light 8.43 

"      Faulkner's  Is'nd 

Light  9.54 

"      Cornfield  Light 

Ship  10.33 

"      Bartlett's  Reef 

Light  Ship..  11.12 
"      New  London 

Light  11.25 

New    London  —  Steam 

off 11.32 

At  dock.  .11.37 


.431/2     First  of  flood 
against  boat. 
1.11 

.39      Flood  against. 
.39          "  " 

.13 
.07 


Eunning  time,  dock  to  dock,  6  hours,  or  an  average  speed 
of  20.03  miles  per  hour.  This  was  a  very  fast  run,  with  a  head 
tide  most  of  the  distance  covered.  The  time  from  Execution 
Rocks  Light  to  Cornfield  Light  Ship  shows  very  high  speed 
with  an  adverse  tide  a  portion  of  the  distance,  3  hours  and  27 
minutes,  or  21.68  miles  per  hour. 


554  HIGH   SPEED. 

"  PRISCILLA." 

New  York  to  Fall  River,  Mass.,  June  20,  1894. 

Elapsed 

A.  M.  Time.         Tide. 

Left  Newport,  K.  I. . .    7.16  H.  M. 

Passed  Castle  Hill 7.31  .15 

"      Point  Judith 7.58  .27       Flood. 

"      Watch  Hill 8.57  .59          « 

"       Little  Gull  Light.  . .  .  9.33  .36 

"      Cornfield  Light  Ship.  10.09  .36 

"      Faulkner  Isl'd  Light.  10.47  .38 

"       Stratford  Light 11.55  1.08          " 

"       Batons  Neck 12.40  .45        Ebb. 

«      Captains  Island 1.10  .30 

"      Execution  Eock  Light  1.39  .29          " 

"       Throggs  Point 1.56  .17     Ebb  with 

"      Battery,  N.  Y 2.45  .49        boat. 

7.29 

High  water  at  Hell  Gate,  11.03  A.  M. 

The  distance  from  Newport  wharf  to  the  Battery  at  New 
York  was  covered  at  an  average  speed  of  21.11  miles  per  hour. 
From  Point  Judith  to  Execution  Rocks  Light  at  a  speed  of  21.50 
miles  per  hour;  and  from  Watch  Hill  Light  to  Stratford  Shoal 
Light,  a  distance  of  66.9  miles,  at  a  speed  of  22.55  miles 
per  hour ;  and  from  Cornfield  Light  Ship  to  Watch  Hill  Light, 
a  distance  of  27.6  miles,  in  1  hour  and  12  minutes,  or  a  speed 
of  23  miles  per  hour.  The  tide  was  favorable  for  the  vessel 
during  most  of  the  trip.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  in- 
crease of  the  speed  while  running  from  Watch  Hill  to  Corn- 
field Light  is  not  as  great  as  in  some  of  the  other  vessels, 
thus  confirming  the  claim  that  all  fast  runs  are  made  to  the 
eastward  to  obtain  the  benefit  of  the  swift-running  tide 
through  "the  Race,"  that  runs  there  better  in  that  direction 
than  to  the  westward.  This  run  was  made  just  after  the 
vessel  had  been  completely  furnished  in  her  passenger  accom- 
modations, and  prior  to  being  placed  in  commission.  This 
time  has  never  been  equalled  on  the  whole  distance  covered, 
and  has  never  been  equalled  between  any  two  of  the  points 
named,  with  but  one  exception.  The  time  made  shows  it  was 
no  ordinary  trial  trip,  although  there  may  not  have  been  the 


HIGH   SPEED.  555 

refinements  of  a  speed  trial  as  understood  for  our  naval  ves- 
sels. With  the  fact  that  the  run  was  to  the  westward,  and 
the  tide  was  not  favorable  the  entire  distance,  shows  the  vessel 
to  be  one  of  the  most  speedy  steamboats  that  has  been  in  the 
passenger  service  on  Long  Island  Sound. 

"RICHARD  PECK." 
New  York  and  New  Haven  Line. 

Speed  on  the  measured  mile  in  September,  1892,  20.25 
miles  per  hour.  The  highest  speed  attained  for  any  distance  of 
note,  when  new,  was  in  1893,  on  a  trip  from  New  York  to 
New  Haven  in  3  hours  and  52  minutes,  and  New  York  dock 
to  New  Haven  Light  in  3  hours  and  32  minutes.  No  date  is 
given  to  find  the  tidal  conditions.  Assuming  that  her  time 
from  New  York  dock  to  Execution  Rocks  Light  was  1  hour 
and  10  minutes,  or  a  speed  of  18.64  miles  per  hour,  leaves  2 
hours  and  22  minutes  for  the  distance  from  Execution  Kocks 
Light  to  New  Haven  Light,  a  distance  of  49.79  miles,  or  a  speed 
of  21.03  miles  per  hour. 

On  Sunday,  June  15,  1902,  another  fast  trip  was  made, 
this  time  to  the  westward,  from  New  Haven  dock  to  Peck  Slip 
dock,  in  4  hours  and  4  minutes,  less  stop  at  21st  Street  of  12 
minutes,  leaving  elapsed  time  3  hours  and  52  minutes. 

p  M  Elapsed 

R  M'  Time. 

Left  New  Haven  Dock 3.26  Minutes. 

Passed  South-west  Ledge  Light 3.47  21 

"       Stratford  Point  Light 4.23  36 

"      Penfield  Reef  Light 4.44  21 

"      Green  Ledge  Light 5.21  37 

"      Captains  Island  Light 5.50  29 

"      Execution  Rocks  Light 6.15  25 

"       Stepping  Stones  Light 6.26  11 

"      Throggs   Point 6.31  5 

«      Whitestone  6.36  5 

"      Hunts  Point 6.44  8 

"      North  Brothers  Island 6.48  4 

«      Hell  Gate 6.56  8 

Arrived  at  21st  St.  E.  R.  Dock 7.06  10 

Left  21st  St.  E.  R,  Dock 7.18 

Arrived  at  Peck  Slip 7.30 


556  HIGH   SfEED. 

Full  sea  at  New  Haven  at  7  P.  M.;  at  Hell  Gate  5.56  P.  M. 

Miles 
per  hour. 

From  S.  W.  Ledge  Light  to  Execution  Rocks 

Light 20.19 

"     Penfield  Reef  Light  to  Execution  Rocks 

Light 20.93 

"     Great  Capt.  Island  Light  to  Execution 

Rocks  Light 20.4 

"      Execution  Rocks  Light  to  21st  St.,  E.  R. .  22.35 

a  distance  of  19  miles. 

In  61  consecutive  trips  from  New  York  to  New  Haven — 
dock  to  dock — in  the  summer  of  1902,  the  vessel  made  the 
first  thirty  trips  in  an  average  of  4  hours  18  6/10  minutes,  and 
the  thirty-one  to  complete  this  number  of  trips  in  an  average 
of  4  hours  and  22  6/10  minutes,  or  an  average  of  the  whole  of 
4  hours  20  6/10  minutes. 

"PURITAN". 

Fall   River   Line. 

Placed  in  commission  in  June,  1889. 

On  August  7  following,  made  first  fast  trip  from  New 
York  to  Fall  River  in  8  hours  and  47  minutes,  leaving  New 
York  at  5.38  P.  M.,  and  arriving  at  Fall  River  at  2.25  A.  M. 
High  water  at  Hell  Gate  this  day  at  6.29  P.  M.,  and  high 
water  at  Little  Gull  Island  at  6.11  P.  M.,  showing  the  trip 
was  made  under  favorable  conditions  of  the  tide.  This  was 
during  the  regular  business. 

The  next  trip,  out  of  the  ordinary  routine  of  transporta- 
tion, was  one  made  on  May  26th,  1893.  The  vessel  had  just 
come  off  the  dry  dock,  where  her  bottom  had  been  cleaned 
and  painted,  and  was  sent  east  to  take  the  place  of  the  "Provi- 
dence" on  the  route.  It  was  at  this  time  there  was  so  much 
interest  manifested  in  the  speed  of  the  "Puritan"  and  the 
"Richard  Peck."  On  this  day  the  "Puritan"  left  New  York, 
running  light,  at  3.17  P.  M.,  the  "Richard  Peck"  leaving  for 
New  Haven  at  3.30  P.  M.,  and  whether  there  was  a  trial  of 
speed  there  seems  to  be  a  doubt,  but  a  comparison  of  figures 
would  settle  all  differences  of  the  best  stayer  in  a  long  run. 
The  tide  was  running  flood  to  the  Sound  in  favor  of  the  boat, 


HIGH    SPEED.  557 

and  flood  through  the  Sound  to  about  Faulkners  Island 
against  the  boat,  and  from  there  ebb  tide,  or  in  favor  of  the 
boat.  The  running  time  made  between  Stratford  Shoal  Light 
and  Point  Judith  Automatic  Whistling  Buoy  was  in  4  hours 
and  2  minutes,  a  distance  of  86.7  miles,  or  21.5  miles  an  hour. 
Average  revolutions  of  engine,  22.8  per  minute.  All  her 
boilers  were  in  service  during  this  trip.  She  only  went  as 
far  as  Newport,  arriving  there  at  11.25  P.  M.,  making  the  trip 
in  8  hours  and  8  minutes. 

Her  last  fast  trip,  and  the  best  ever  made  by  the  vessel  wras 
on  June  8th,  1899,  when  just  off  the  dry  dock,  foot  Pike  Slip, 
and  sent  light  to  Fall  River,  to  take  the  place  of  one  of  the 
other  boats.  Her  log  for  this  trip  reads,  viz.: 

,  A.  M.        Elapsed  Time. 

Left  Dry  Dock 9.25  H.  M. 

Passed  Hunts  Point 9.59  .34 

"  Throggs  Point 10.13  .14 

"  Executioners  10.32  .19 

Captains  Island 10.55  .23 

"  Batons  Neck. 11.30  .35 

"  Stratford  Light 12.18  .48 

Faulkner's  Island  Light 1.30  1.12 

"  Cornfield  Light  Ship 2.08  .38 

"  Plum  Island 2.29  .21 

«  Gull  Island  Light 2.43  .14 

"  Watch  Hill 3.23  .40 

"  Point  Judith 4.18  .55 

"  Brenton's  Reef  Light  Ship. .  4.42  .24 

"  Castle  Hill 4.49  .07 

"  Rose  Island 4.56  .07 

"  Gould  Island 5.03  .07 

Sandy  Point. 5.18  .15 

"  Bristol  Ferry 5.28  .10 

"  Olivers  5.46  .18 

Arrived  at  Fall  River 5.49  3 

Running  time,  8  hours  and  24  minutes,  a  distance  of 
174.25  miles,  or  a  speed  for  the  entire  distance  of  20.74  miles 
per  hour.  From  Execution  Light  to  Watch  Hill,  102.4  miles, 
a  speed  of  21.11  miles  per  hour.  From  Stratford  Shoal  Light 


558 


HIGH   SPEED. 


to  Point  Judith,  a  speed  of  21.675  miles  per  hour,  a  distance 
of  86.7  miles.  From  Stratford  Shoal  Light  to  Watch  Hill, 
21.7  miles  per  hour.  From  Cornfield  to  Watch  Hill,  27.6 
miles,  a  speed  of  22.08  miles  per  hour;  and  from  Cornfield  to 
Little  Gull  Light,  13.4  miles,  a  speed  of  22.98  miles  per  honr. 
Average  revolutions  of  engine  from  Execution  Light  to  Point 
Judith,  21.75  per  minute,  and  from  Castle  Hill  to  Fall  River, 
22  per  minute.  The  tidal  conditions  were  the  last  of  the 
flood  to  the  Sound,  and  there  the  ebb.  High  water  at  Little 
Gull  Island  at  9.18  A.  M. 

The  best  time  that  has  been  made  by  the  New  York  and 
Portland  propellers  was  that  by  the  "John  Englis,"  in  18 
hours  and  40  minutes,  and  by  the  "Horatio  Hall,"  in  19  hours 
and  20  minutes.  The  "North  Star"  tried  several  times,  when 
new,  for  a  record,  but  fogs  or  an  unusual  number  of  detentions 
prevented  the  vessel  making  any  fast  time. 


"NEW    HAMPSHIRE." 
New  York  to  Stonington,  Conn.,  July  28,  1895.     Single-screw  propeller. 

Elapsed 

P.  M.  Time.             Tide. 

Left  Stonington  ...........  11.17  H.  M. 

Passed  North  Hummock.  .  .11.39  .22        High  tide 

"      Bartletts    Reef  Little  Gull, 

Light  Ship  ......  11.57  .18       July  29,  at 

"      Cornfield    Light  3.05  A.  M. 

Ship    ...........  12.37  .40 

"      Faulkner's  Island.  ..   1.19  .42 
"       Stratford  Shoal 

Light    ..........   2.36  1.17 

"       Huntington  .......   3.27  .51 

"       Sands  Point.  ......   4.26  .59 

"       Throggs  Neck  ......   4.43  .17     High  water 

"      North  Brothers.  .  .  .   5.00  .17     at  Hell  Gate 

"      Hell   Gate  ..........   5.07  .07       3.40  A.  M. 

Arrived     Pier     36,     North 

River  .....  ......   5.40  .33 


6,23 


HIGH   SPEED.  559 

From  North  Hummock  to  Stratford  Shoal  Light,  20  miles 
an  hour.  From  Stonington  to  Throggs  Neck,  19.83  miles. 
This  vessel  made  a  fast  run  from  New  York  to  Wilmington, 
Del.,  on  March  21,  1897.  Left  Pier  39,  North  Eiver,  at 
8.52  A.  M.,  passed  Sandy  Hook  at  10  A.  M.,  Barnegat  at 
12.52  P.  M.,  Absecom  at  2.48,  and  Cape  May  at  5.12  P.  M. 
Passed  Brandywine  Shoals  Light  at  6.23,  Ship  John  Shoal 
Light  at  7.52,  and  arrived  at  Wilmington  Creek,  Wilmington, 
at  9.42  P.  M.  Time,  12  hours  and  50  minutes;  distance,  226 
miles.  Wind,  S.  W.  to  S.  S.  E.;  heavy  and  easterly  swell. 
From  Battery  at  New  York  to  Cape  May  Light,  150.78  miles. 
Had  no  cargo  nor  passengers  on  this  trip. 

"WILLIAM  G.  PAYNE." 
New  York  and  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  Friday,  June  27,  1902. 

P.  M.        Elapsed  Time. 

Left  Pike  Slip 3.03  Min. 

"     31st  St.,  East  River 3.22  19 

Passed  Rikers  Island 3.45  23 

"      Fort   Schuyler 4.03  18 

"      Execution  Light 4.21  18 

"      Captains  Island 1 4.47  26 

«      Norwalk  Light 5.17  30 

"      Penfield  Beef  Light . .  5.55  38 

"      Bridgeport  Light 6.09  14 

Dock  at  Bridgeport 6.18  09 

Head  tide  to  Captains  Island,  and  favorable  thence  to 
Bridgeport.  Weather  clear  with  a  west-north-west  wind, 
having  a  movement  of  16  to  20  miles  per  hour  during  the 
afternoon,  that  was  in  favor  of  the  boat  through  the  Sound. 
High  water  at  Hell  Gate,  2.16  P.  M. 

Speed  per  hour  from  31st  Street  to  Penfield  Beef  Light, 
19.69  miles.  From  31st  Street  to  Execution  Bocks  Light, 
18.82  miles  per  hour.  From  Execution  Bocks  Light  to  Pen- 
field  Beef  Light,  20.26  miles  per  hour.  This  trip  compares 
favorably  with  the  "Richard  Peck's"  fast  trip,  June  15,  1902. 
Developed  on  trial  trip  19,775  miles  per  hour. 

On  October  28,  1902,  when  the  flood  tide  was  about  two 
hours  old  through  Hell  Gate,  the  "W.  G.  Payne"  made  the  run 


560  HIGH    SPEED. 

from  31st  Street  to  Execution  Kocks  Light  in  50  minutes, 
which  gives  her  a  speed  of  22.2  miles  per  hour.  The  day  be- 
fore, the  same  distance  had  been  covered  in  52  minutes.  The 
distance  between  these  points  has  been  run  by  the  better 
class  of  steamboats  under  similar  conditions  in  fully  as  good 
time. 

The  taking  of  elapsed  time  between  Execution  Rocks 
Light  and  Captains  Island  Light  is  a  delusion  and  a  snare, 
for  the  distance  can  be  made  anywhere  from  8  to  9  miles  to 
suit  the  officer  of  a  vessel.  This  is  a  condition.  It  does  not 
refer  to  any  line  or  vessels  navigating  Long  Island  Sound. 


HUDSON  RIVER  STEAMBOATS. 

When  we  come  to  our  river  steamboats  there  are  but  few 
logs  to  refer  to  for  the  running  time,  but  must  rely  for  that 
item  on  interested  parties  who  have  been  found  reliable.  The 
distances  are  from  the  United  States  Coast  Survey  Bureau. 

The  "slow  downs"  or  shutting  off  to  one-half  speed  in 
passing  tows  in  the  river,  is  an  element  of  more  than  passing 
interest  that  has  been  but  seldom  taken  into  account  when 
fast  time  was  being  considered.  Above  Poughkeepsie  is 
where  the  rule  must  be  adhered  to  more  strictly  than  in  the 
opposite  direction;  and  if  there  are  five  or  six  tows  met  on  a 
trip,  with  a  loss  of  say  2~y2  minutes  each,  there  is  in  the  aggre- 
gate a  loss  of  12  to  15  minutes  on  the  whole  trip.  The  more 
meetings,  the  greater  the  loss  of  time.  Years  ago,  when  the 
canal  business  was  much  larger  comparatively  than  of  later 
years,  there  were  a  larger  number  of  tows-  on  the  river  than, 
say  since  1855.  We  find  prior  to  1850  there  were  seven  steam 
tow-boat  lines  on  the  river,  having  62  steam  tow-boats  in  ser- 
vice, between  Albany  and  Troy  and  New  York,  towing  can- 
alers.  This  was  the  route  for  freight  to  the  West  until  the 
Hudson  River  Railroad  was  completed  and  made  connections 
with  the  railroads  running  between  Albany  and  Buffalo  in 
1852,  and  the  completion  of  the  Erie  R.  R.  about  the  same 
time,  when  the  business  of  the  canals  in  a  few  years  began  to 
fall  off.  The  large  number  of  tows  on  the  river  at  times  cer- 
tainly had  the  effect  to  increase  the  running  time  of  the  steam- 


HIGH    SPEED.  561 

boats,  as  the  latter  are  required  to  slow  down  in  passing  them. 
There  has  been  no  reliable  data  handed  down  showing  the 
effect  on  the  running  time. 

There  has  always  been,  since  they  were  built,  and  probably 
always  'will  be,  a  division  of  opinion  as  to  the  steamboats  on 
the  Hudson  River  that  belong  in  the  class  of  20  miles  an  hour 
and  over,  but  probably  a  few  figures  may  be  of  service  to  show 
the  standing  of  many  of  the  steamboats  that  have  been  and 
are  on  the  river  of  the  first-class  in  speed. 

"  FRANCIS  SKIDDY."— June  30,  1852. 

Chambers  Street,  New  York,  to  Hudson,  116%  miles,  5 
hours  and  23  minutes  less  5  landings;  running  time,  5  hours 
and  3  minutes.  Speed  per  hour,  23.04  miles. 

"  DANIEL  DREW."— October  13,  1860. 

Jay  Street,  New  York,  to  Hudson,  116^4  miles,  5  hours  and 
30  minutes;  running  time,  5  hours  and  5  minutes.  Speed  per 
hour,  22.89  miles.  This  trip  was  made  with  a  strong  north- 
east or  head  wind. 

"  ALIDA."— May  5,  1848. 

New  York  to  Hudson;  running  time,  5  hours  and  20 
minutes.  Speed  per  hour,  21.8  miles. 

"  MARY  POWELL."— August  7,  1874. 

Vestry  Street,  New  York,  to  Poughkeepsie,'  74%  miles,  in 
3  hours  and  19  minutes  running  time.  Speed  per  hour,  22.54 
miles.  Time  to  New-burg,  59.75  miles  in  2  hours  and  38  min- 
utes; speed  per  hour,  22.7  miles.  High  water  this  day  at 
Governor's  Island,  New  York,  4.21  P.M.;  at  Newburg,  7.36  P.M., 
and  at  Poughkeepsie,  8.15  P.  M.  The  conditions  of  the 
weather  from  the  records  of  the  Weather  Bureau,  show  that 
the  P.  M.  observation  at  New  York  was  a  southeast  wind 
having  a  velocity  of  22  miles  per  hour,  an  excellent  combination 
for  fast  time  up  the  river. 

On  June  7,  1881,  made  the  run  to  Poughkeepsie  in  3  hours 
and  33  minutes  running  time.  High  water  at  New  York  at 
4.29  P.  M. ;  southerly  wind,  9  miles  per  hour,  with  rain  all  day. 


562  HIGH    SPEED. 

The  vessel  was  operated  on  her  fast  runs  by  a  steam  pres- 
sure not  exceeding  35  pounds,  and  cutting  off  at  %  of  the 
stroke  of  the  piston. 

"  ALIDA."— July,  1860. 

New  York  to  Poughkeepsie,  3  hours  and  27  minutes. 
Speed  per  hour,  21.52  miles. 

"SYLVAN  DELL."— October  18,  1872. 

Vestry  Street,  New  York,  to  Poughkeepsie,  in  running 
time  of  3  hours  and  40  minutes.  Speed  per  hour,  20.24  miles. 
This  was  a  speed  trial  to  Albany.  Particulars  on  another 
page. 

"  ALBANY."— On  May  12,  1880, 

An  engineer's  trial  trip  was  given  the  vessel  to  about 
Tarrytown,  and  on  July  3,  1880,  the  vessel  was  put  in  commis- 
sion. She  was  not  speeded  until  after  the  close  of  business 
of  the  line  for  the  season.  On  October  22,  the  vessel  was 
taken  to  Albany  with  the  purpose  to  lay  her  up  for  the  winter, 
and  at  the  same  time  to  see  what  she  was  capable  of  doing  as 
far  as  Poughkeepsie.  The  vessel  left  22d  Street  at  11.01  A.  M., 
passed  Newburg  at  1.30  P.  M.,  and  arrived  at  the  dock  at 
Poughkeepsie  at  2.09.  The  weather  conditions  at  New  York  in 
the  morning  were  a  southeast  wind  at  8  miles  per  hour, 
shifting  to  a  northeast  wind  at  16  miles  per  hour.  The  tidal 
conditions  were  high  water  at  Governor's  Island  at  10.56  A.  M., 
and  at  Poughkeepsie  at  2.50  P.  M.  Time  from  22d  Street, 
New  York,  to  Poughkeepsie,  72%  miles,  in  3  hours  and  8  min- 
utes. Speed  per  hour,  23.26  miles. 

The  latest  run  for  a  record  on  the  Hudson  River  was  made 
by  the  "New  York"  on  May  28,  1903,  the  day  the  line  opened 
for  business,  and  the  time  made  between  22d  Street  and 
Poughkeepsie  was  so  close  to  that  made  by  the  "Albany,"  in 
1880,  that  the  difference  is  in  seconds  only.  The  conditions 
of  the  weather  were  a  south-west  wind  during  the  whole  trip, 
with  a  wind  velocity  of  12  miles  for  the  first  hour,  11  miles 
for  the  second  hour,  and  10  miles  per  hour  for  the  remaining 
time.  The  tidal  conditions  were  high  water  that  morning  at 
Governor's  Island,  at  8.48,  and  it  was  generally  observed  at 


HIGH    SPEED.  563 

the  time  that  it  was  an  unusually  strong  flood  tide.     The  pilot- 
house time  of  the  vessel  was: 

A.M. 

Left  Debrosses  Street  Pier,  New  York 8.42.00 

Passed  22d  Street,  New  York 8.49.00 

"       129th  Street,  New  York 9.04.00 

"      Fort  Washington  Point 9.10.00 

"       Yonkers 9.26.00 

"       Stony  Point 10.28.00 

"      West  Point 10.56.20 

"      Newburgh 1-1.19.40 

Stopped  at  Poughkeepsie 11.57.20 

Speed  per  hour  from  22d  Street  to  Newburgh,  23.08  miles; 
and  from  22d  Street  to  Poughkeepsie,  23.21  miles  per  hour. 
This  shows  a  higher  rate  of  speed  between  Newburgh  and 
Poughkeepsie  than  below  Newburgh. 

When  the  conditions  of  the  weather  and  the  tide  during 
the  trips  named  of  the  "Albany"  and  the  "New  York"  are 
compared,  and  also  the  fact  of  the  former  being  then  fitted 
with  the  ordinary  radial  wheel  is  taken  into  consideration,  it 
may  not  be  far  out  of  the  way  to  say  that  the  "Albany,"  under 
the  same  conditions  as  the  "New  York,"  would  be  able  to  hold 
her  own,  even  with  her  increased  age.  These  are  the  two 
fastest  passenger  steamboats  for  a  run  to  Poughkeepsie  that 
have  been  on  the  river,  but  the  "Francis  Skiddy"  and  the 
"Daniel  Drew"  must  be  reckoned  with  in  the  long  run  to 
Albany. 

Taking  the  fast  trips  to  Albany  from  the  time  of  the 
"South  America,"  in  1843,  to  that  of  the  "Chauncey  Vibbard," 
in  1866,  and  the  average  time  does  not  vary  more  than  20 
minutes,  except  in  two  instances.  The  average  time  would 
be  about  7  hours  and  30  minutes,  and  from  this  deduct  say 
20  minutes  for  landings,  leaving  7  hours  and  10  minutes  run- 
ning time  to  Albany,  a  distance  of  144  miles,  as  the  landings 
in  New  York  City  were  about  Chambers  Street,  giving  an 
average  speed  of  20.18  miles  per  hour.  From  Hudson  to 
Albany,  it  will  be  remembered,  is  very  shoal  water  for  these 
large  boats,  that  requires  them  to  reduce  their  speed.  The 
most  notable  through  trip  between  the  two  cities  made  in 


564:  HIGH    SPEED. 

fast  time  was  that  of  the  "South  America,"  on  April  19,  1843, 
while  running  in  the  "Through  line  with  no  landings."  The 
vessel  left  Albany  that  evening  at  6.50,  and  arrived  at  New 
York  at  2.16  the  next  morning,  making  the  trip  in  7  hours 
and  26  minutes,  dock  to  dock.  The  vessel  was  highly  favored 
on  this  run,  as  there  was  a  heavy  freshet  in  the  river  that  had 
covered  the  docks  at  Albany  for  two  days  to  the  depth  of 
about  two  feet.  The  only  tidal  condition  that  was  not  in  her 
favor  was  in  the  lower  part  of  the  river,  where  for  a  time  there 
was  the  flood  tide:  high  water  at  New  York  about  midnight. 
At  the  time  the  vessel  made  the  fast  run  on  May  30,  1844,  as 
a  day  boat,  it  was  high  water  at  New  York  at  6.52  A.  M.,  and 
there  was  a  high  S.  S.  E.  wind  blowing  at  New  York.  They 
had  not  got  so  far  along  as  measuring  the  velocity  of  the  wind 
in  those  days.  This  was  no  doubt  a  very  fast  trip. 

There  has  been  no  occurrence  that  points  so  conclusively 
to  the  limit  of  24  miles  an  hour  as  the  maximum  speed  of 
our  river  and  Sound  boats  as  the  race  between  the  "Tashmoo" 
and  the  "City  of  Erie,"  on  Lake  Erie,  on  June  4,  1901,  where 
these  steamboats  raced  on  a  straight  course  along  the  south 
side  of  the  lake,  starting  from  a  line  off  the  water- works  crib, 
six  miles  outside  the  -breakwater  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  to  a  line 
10  miles  off  Presque  Island  Light  House,  at  Erie,  Pa.  The 
distance  between  these  two  points,  from  the  best  authorities 
on  the  subject,  varies  from  94  to  95.25  miles,  but  the  former 
distance  has  been  more  generally  accepted.  The  time  of  run- 
ning for  the  vessels  was:  the  "City  of  Erie,"  4  hours  19  minutes 
and  9  seconds,  and  the  "Tashmoo,"  4  hours  19  minutes  and 
54  seconds,  the  "City  of  Erie"  winning  by  45  seconds.  Speed 
per  hour,  "City  of  Erie,"  21.76  statute  miles,  and  the  "Tash- 
moo," 21.70  miles  per  hour.  This  is  through  the  water,  with- 
out any  tidal  influence. 

There  have  been  many  absurdities  handed  down  to  us 
regarding  steam  navigation,  but  none  that  will  stand  so  slight 
an  analysis  as  this:  "The  fastest  time  made  on  the  river 
between  New  York  and  Albany  was  by  the  'South  America,' 
in  6  hour?  and  35  minutes."  Well,  let  us  analyze  these  figures, 
and  see  what  is  the  result.  It  is  no  doubt  running  time  and 
no  landings.  We  will  start  from  Albany  to  Hudson,  2Sl/2 
wiles,  for  the  simple  purpose  to  find  the  rate  of  speed  in  deep 


HIGH   SPEED.  565 

water.  Assuming  this  distance  to  have  been  covered  in  1  hour 
and  -15  minutes,  or  at  the  rate  or  average  speed  of  16.3  miles 
per  hour,  and  that  would  be  fast  traveling  in  that  part  of 
the  river,  prior  to  1850,  or  possibly  later,  there  remains  4  hours 
and  50  minutes  for  the  distance  between  Hudson  and  New 
York  of  11614  miles,  or  24.07  miles  per  hour,  while  the  aver- 
age speed  over  the,  whole  distance  would  be  21.99  miles  per 
hour.  The  "South  America,"  with  a  flood  behind  her,  going 
south,  never  came  near  to  these  figures  by  51  minutes,  and 
with  a  high  south-east  wind  behind  her,  going  north,  lacked 
touching  6.35  by  39  minutes.  Neither  the  "Francis  Skiddy" 
nor  the  "Daniel  Drew,"  either  of  which  were  of  as  high  average 
speed  as  the  "South  America,"  could  touch  the  6.35  mark.  The 
"Albany"  or  the  "New  York"  would  probably  have  left  but 
little  outside  the  mark  on  their  fast  runs  to  Poughkeepsie,  if 
continued  to  Albany.  It  may  be  done  in  the  future.  It  has 
not  been  done  yet.  There  is  no  doubt  with  the  vast  improve- 
ment in  the  channel  of  the  upper  river  in  the  last  twenty-five 
years  but  that  more  regular  and  better  time  can  be  made  than 
at  any  period  before,  due  to  the  freedom  from  extreme  low 
water  on  the  shoals  and  bars.  This  was  something  they  could 
not  do  during  the  days  of  the  rivalry  with  the  large' boats  on 
the  river. 

The  "Sandy  Hook"  and  the  "Monmouth,"  of  the  New 
York  and  Sandy  Hook  route,  when  new  and  running  to  Sandy 
Hook  dock,  made  the  run,  dock  to  dock,  19.1  statute  miles,  in 
56  minutes,  equal  to  20.47  miles  per  hour.  At  a  later  date, 
when  running  to  dock  at  Atlantic  Highlands,  the  best  time 
made  was  1  hour  and  3  minutes,  about  3  miles  being  in  shoal 
water;  but  from  Southwest  Spit  Buoy  No.  12  to  Pier  9,  North 
River,  a  distance  of  16.1  miles,  in  47  minutes,  equal  to  a  speed 
of  20.57  miles  per  hour. 

The  question  has  been  asked  of  late  years,  what  per  cent, 
of  increase  in  speed  has  there  been  found  in  our  river  and 
Sound  steamboats  in  the  last  fifty  years.  As  to  our  ocean  and 
coastwise  steamships,  the  increase*  of  speed  has  been  so 
marked  as  to  leave  no  doubt  on  the  subject.  But  with  the 
inland  vessels  it  appears  to  be  different.  Take  the  fast  trip 
of  the  "Francis  Skiddy,"  in  1852,  and  the  "Albany,"  in  1880. 
These  boats  can  be  taken  as  the  representatives  of  the  fast 


566  HIGH    SPEED. 

boats  of  their  period  on  the  Hudson  River.  The  difference  in 
their  rate  of  speed  is  not  4  per  cent.,  while  that  between  the 
"Daniel  Drew"  and  the  "Albany"  is  a  trifle  over  4  per  cent., 
both  in  favor  of  the  latter.  When  the  Long  Island  Sound 
steamboats  are  compared,  there  is  found  a  larger  per  cent., 
taking  the  "Metropolis"  and  the  "City  of  Boston"  as  the  earlier 
boats,  with  the  "Priscilla"  and  the  "City  of  Lowell"  as  the 
present-day  representatives.  Between  the  "Metropolis"  and 
the  "Priscilla,"  from  Stratford  Shoal  Light  to  Watch  Hill  Light, 
there  is  an  increase  in  speed  of  over  6  per  cent,  in  favor  of  the 
"Priscilla."  Between  the  "City  of  Boston"  and  the  "City  of 
Lowell,"  from  Stratford  Shoal  Light  to  New  London  Light, 
there  is  a  difference  of  over  10  per  cent,  in  favor  of  the  "CJty 
of  Lowell."  The  present-day  representatives  here  named  are 
in  all  probability  so  evenly  matched  in  speed  that  on  a  100-mile 
run,  or  more,  the  result,  barring  accidents,  would  depend  on 
the  auxiliary  portion  of  the  machinery  operating  without  fault. 
These  figures  do  not  show  a  very  large  per  cent,  of  increase 
in  speed  for  the  last  forty  or  fifty  years,  with  the  one  exception 
on  Long  Island  Sound.  The  matter  of  increased  size  of  the 
vessels  of  later  years,  with  the  additional  weight  of  hull  and 
joiner  worli,  and  the  higher  steam  pressure,  has  not  been  taken 
into  consideration  in  comparing  these  figures.  These  refine- 
ments are  left  to  the  marine  architect  and  the  engineer. 


N  TIME  OF  STEAMBOATS  ON  THE  HUDSON  RIVER. 

NEW   YORK   AND   ALBANY.  H.  M. 

"Clermont"— 1807   36.00 

"Car  of  Neptune"— March,  1812 20.00 

"Paragon"— 1820 .' 27.00 

"James  Kent"— August  19,  1823 20.00 

"Chief  Justice  Marshall"-«-1825 14.30 

"Sun"— June  6,  1826;  13  landings 12.16 

"New  Philadelphia"— August  24,  1826;  north 12.23 

"Novelty"— May  31,  1832;  south 9.47 

"Champlain"— August  23,  1832;  north 9.49 


HIGH    SPEED.  Obi 

NEW  YORK  AND  ALBANY.— (Continued. )  H  M 

"North.  America"— September  22,  1832;  north 9.18 

"De  Witt  Clinton"— April,  1832;  5  landings 10.44 

"Swallow"— October  8,  1836;  north 8.42 

1  "Rochester"— November  8,  1836;  north 8.57  /* 

"Troy"— May  19,  1841;  south;  5  landings 8.10 

"Troy"— June  9,  1841;  11  landings 8.42 

"South  America"— April  19,  1843;  south 7.26 

"South  America"— May  30,  1844;  north 7.58 

Less  11  landings 7.14 

"Alida"— May  8,  1847;  south;  6  landings 7.56 

"Alida"— May  5,  1848;  south;  low  water  at  New  York 

2.40  P.  M 7.55 

2  "Alida"— May  6,  1848;  north;  7  landings;  tide  against 

boat;  high  water  at  New  York  11.16 

A.  M 8.10 

"New  World"— May  29,  1851;  north;  6  landings;  N.  E, 

wind;  high  water  New  York,  7.50  A.M.  7.43 

"Reindeer"— May  31,  1851;  south;  7  landings 7.44 

3  "Reindeer"— July  1, 1851;  south;  6  landings.  ;. 7.44 

"Francis  Skiddy"— June  30,  1852;   north;    6  landings; 

high  water  at  New  York,  7.45  A.  M. .  .  7.30 
"Glen  Cove"— October  13,  1856;  north;  6  landings; 

strong  south  wind;  running  time. . . .  7.30 
"Daniel  Drew"— October  13,  1860;  north;  5  landings; 

6.50  running  time;  high  water  New 

York,  7.40  A.  M 7.20 

"Chauncey  Yibbard" — June  4,  1866;  north;  8  landings; 

high  water  New  York,  8.13  A.  M 7.33 

TO   HUDSON. 

H.  M. 

"Knickerbocker"— August  20,  1843 5.52 

"Alida"— May  5,  1848;  5  landings 5.42 

"Francis  Skiddy"— June  30,  1852;  5  landings 5.23 

"Daniel  Drew"— October  13,  1860;  4  landings 5.30 

1  Racing  with  "Swallow." 

2  Racing  with  "Hendrik  Hudson." 
8  Racing  with  "Henry  Clay." 


563  HIGH    SPEED. 

TO  POUGHKEEPSIE.  H.  M. 

"Henry  Clay"— August,  1852;  6  landings 3.55 

"Alida"— July,  1860 ;  5  landings 3.27 

1  "Mary  Powell"— August  7,  1874;  6  landings . .  3.39 

"Mary  Powell"— June  7, 1881;  6  landings;  running  time  3.33 

Time  of  the  "Sylvan  Dell,"  New  York  to  Albany,  without 
landing,  October  18,  1872;  south-east  wind  4  to  6  miles  per 
hour.  From  Vestry  Street,  New  York:  Elapsed  Time. 

H.  M. 

To  Yonkers 0.46 

"     Piermont 1.09 

"    Tarrytown    1.16 

"     Stony  Point 1.56 

"    Caldwells 2.05% 

"    Cozzens 2.26 

"    Newburgh  . . , . . . .     2.55% 

"    Poughkeepsie 3.40 

"     Esopus  Light 4.15 

"    Rondout 4.27 

"    Saugerties  Light 5.00 

"    Catskill  5.33 

"    Hudson 5.47 

"    Four-Mile  Point. 6.05 

At  Albany , 7.43 

Fast  trip  of  "Mary  Powell,"  August  7,  1874: 

P.  M.  Elapsed  Time. 

Left  Vestry  Street  Pier 3.32i/2 

Opposite  Fort  Washington ,  3.57y2  .25 

"        Spuyten  Duyvel  Bridge. . .  4.03  .30% 

"        Yonkers  Steamboat  Dock.  4.13%  .41 

"        Piermont  Long  Dock 4.33  1.00%: 

"         Stony  Point  Light 5.15  1.43 

"        Caldwells  Steamboat  Dock  5.23%  1.51 

"        Cozzens  Hotel 5.42  2.09% 

Left  West  Point  Dock 5.50 

Arrived  at  Cornwall 6.03%  2.31 

Left  Cornwall 6.07% 

Arrived  at  Newburgh 6.193/4  2.471/4 

1  Excluding  landings,  3  hours  and  19  minutes. 


HIGH    SPEED. 


569 


Time  from  Vestry  Street  Pier  to  Newburgh,  including 
landings  at  Cozzens,  West  Point,  and  Cornwall,  2  hours  47*4 
minutes.  Running  time  to  Newburgh,  deducting  landings, 
2  hours  and  38  minutes.  Good  flood  tide  and  south-east 
wind. 


DISTANCES  ON  LONG  ISLAND  SOUND  FROM  NEW  YORK  CITY. 


Statute. 
Miles. 


Distance. 


Battery   at   New   York   City,   to    Execution 

Rocks  Light 22.75 

E.  R.  Light  to  Stratford  Shoal  Light 35.50  58.25 

S.  S.  Light  to  Faulkner's  Island  Light 24.80  83.05 

F.  I.  Light  to  Cornfield  Light  Vessel 14.50  97.55 

C.  Lt.  Vessel  to  Bartlett's  Reef  Light  Vessel.   13.40  110.95 

B.  R.  Lt.  Vessel  to.  New  London  Light '5.00  115.95 

N.  L.  Light  to  New  London,  at  dock 2.50          118.45 

Battery  to  Bartlett's  Reef  Light  Vessel 110.95 

B.  R.  Lt.  Vessel  to  N.  Dumpling  Light 5.80          116.75 

N.  D.  Light  to  Stonington  Breakwater.  .....     7.00  123.75 

S.  B.  to  Stonington,  at  dock 0.70          124.45 

Battery  to  Cornfield  Light  Vessel 97.55 

C.  Lt.  Vessel  to  Plum  Island  Light 7.80  105.35 

P.  I.  Light  to  Little  Gull  Light 5.60          110.95 

L.  G.  Light  to  Watch  Hill  Point 14.20          125.15 

W.  Hi  Point  to  Point  Judith 19.80          144.95 

P.  J.  to  Goat  Island  Light— Newport 13.00          157.95 

G.  I.  Light  to  Fall  River  Wharf 17.80          175.75 

Battery  to  Goat  Island  Light 157.95 

G.  I.  Light  to  Sassafras  Point— Providence. .   23.50          181.45 

Peck  Slip  to  Execution  Rocks  Light 21.75 

Execution  Rocks  Light  to  New  Haven  Light.   49.79  71.54 

Execution  Rocks  Light  to  Penfield  Reef  Light  31.73 

Penfield  Reef  Light  to  Black  Rock  Light 2.11 

Penfield  Reef  Light  to  Beacon,  Bridgeport 

Breakwater  .  4.25 


570  HIGH   SPEED. 

DISTANCES   ON   THE   HUDSON   RIVER. 

Statute  Miles.     Whole 

West  22d  St.,  N.  Y.,  to  Tarrytown  Light 2414      Distance. 

Tarrytown  to  West  Point  Light 253/8  49% 

West  Point  Light  to  Newburgh  Landing 8%  57% 

Newburgh  Landing  to  Poughkeepsie  Landing.   15  72% 

Poughkeepsie  to  Rhinebeck  Landing 15*4  88% 

Rhinebeck  to  Catskill  Landing 21%  109% 

Catskill  to  Hudson  City  Landing 4%  114% 

Hudson  City  to  Albany  Landing 28%  142% 

Pier  1,  North  River,  to  West  22d  St. 3% 

Pier  1,  North  River,  to  Albany  Landing 145% 

DISTANCES    ON    WATER    FRONT    OF    NEW    YORK    CITY. 

NORTH  RIVER.  Statute  Miles. 

Battery  to  Pier  11,  Cedar  Street % 

"        "      "    15,  Vesey  Street % 

"        "      "    21,  Duane  Street , 1 

"      "    27,  Hubert  Street............ 1% 

"      "    33,  Canal  Street 1% 

"        "      "    39,  West  Houston  Street 1% 

«      "    45,  West  10th  Street 2 

"        "      "  Bethune  Street , 2% 

"        "       "  West  Washington  Market 2% 

West  14th  Street 23,4 

«        "      «  West  22d  Street 3% 

"        "      «  West  28th  Street 3% 

"        «      «  West  39th  Street 4 

BAST  RIVER.  •  Statute  Miles. 

Battery  to  Pier    3 % 

•"        "      «      8 % 

"      «    14,  Maiden  Lane % 

"        "      "    20,  Peck  Slip .' . .  .  1 

"        "      «    33,  Rutgers  Slip 1% 

"        "      «  Jackson  Street 2 

"        «      «  East  Street— Hook 2% 

"        "      "  Broome  Street. 2% 

"      «    58,  6th  Street 3 

"      «>          15th  Street 3% 

«        «       "     72,  24th  Street 4 

"      "  80-81,  33d  Street 4% 

«        i(      <£  42d  Street. ,  5 


HIGH   SPEED.  571 

DISTANCES   ON  DELAWARE   RIVER.  Statute 

Miles. 

Walnut  Street  Wharf  to  Kaighns  Point 1% 

«  "  "        "  Greenwich  Point 3 

«  "  Girard  Point 8 

«  "  "        "  Point  Breeze  Oil  Works 10.30 

"  «  "        «  Chester 16.38 

"  "  "        "  Schooner  Ledge 18.25 

"  "  "        "  Marcus  Hook 19.50 

"  «  «        "  Cherry  Island  Flats 26.50 

"  "  «        «  Wilmington    28.00 

"  «  "        «  Deep  Water  Point 29.00 

"  "  «        «  New  Castle 33.60 

"  "  "        "  Fort  Delaware 38.40 

"  «  «  Reedy  Island 44.00 

"  «  «        «  Listons  Point 51.00 

«  "  "        «  Bombay  Hook 54.60 

"  "  «        «  Ship  John  Shoal  Light 62.80 

"  "  «        <4  Cross  Ledge 75.00 

"  "  «        «  Brandy  wine 89.00 

Cape  May  Light;  to  line  crossing  channel  to  Cape  Hen- 

lopen  Light 100.00 

The  distances  here  given  are  over  the  courses  usually  taken 

by  steam  vessels,  between  the  points  named. 


CHAPTER    XL 

LIGHT   HOUSES,   LIGHT   SHIPS  AND   FOG 

SIGNALS. 

HE  early  light  houses  of  the  United  States  were 
built  and  maintained  by  the  several  States  in 
which  they  were  situated,  prior  to  the  adoption 
of  the  Federal  Constitution.  The  United  States, 
in  1700,  accepted  the  cession  from  the  several 
States  of  the  sites  and  buildings  of  the  light  houses  then  on 
the  coasts,  with  their  title,  of  which  there  were  then  eight  in 
all.  They  were  located  at  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  Boston  Light, 
on  Littie  Brewster  Island;  Gurnet  Light,  near  Plymouth, 
Mass.;  Brant  Point  Light,  on  Nantucket  Island;  Beaver  Tail 
Light,  entrance  to  Narragansett  Bay;  Sandy  Hook  Light,  en- 
trance to  New  York  Bay;  Cape  Henlopen  Light,  on  Delaware 
Bay;  and  Charleston  Main  Light,  at  Charleston  Harbor,  S.  C. 
In  1799,  New  York  State  ceded  Montauk  Point  Light.  These 
light  houses  were  originally  low  structures  of  wood  or  stone, 
and  were  lighted  by  tallow  candles.  The  Argand  lamp  was 
introduced  in  our  light  houses  in  1812,  the  government  having 
purchased  the  right  to  use  the  patent;  and  the  Fresnel  lens 
system  was  generally  adopted  in  1852. 

By  1815  the  number  of  lights  had  been  largely  in- 
creased, so  as  to  include  the  following:  Portland  Head  Light, 
tower  of  stone,  72  feet  high;  Portsmouth,  Newcastle  Island; 
Newburyport,  Plumb  Island,  2  lights;  Annis  Squam,  Ipswich 
Bay,  wood  building,  40  feet  high;  Cape  Ann,  Thatcher's  Island; 
Boston  Light,  Brewster  Island,  65  feet  high;  Scituate  Light, 
Cedar  Point;  Plymouth,  two  on  Gurnet  Head;  Cape  Cod  Har- 
bor, Baee  Point;  Chatham  Harbor,  James  Head,  2  lights; 
Sandy  Point  and  Brant  Point,  on  Nantucket  Island;  Gay  Head 
and  Cape  Poge,  on  Martha's  Vineyard,  Point  Judith,  of  wood, 
37  feet  high;  Beaver  Tail  Light,  of  wood,  50  feet  high;  Watch 
Hill  Light,  Little  Gull  Light,  New  London  Light,  Faulkner s 


LIGHT    HOUSES,    LIGHT    SHIPS    AND    FOG    SIGNALS.  573 

Island  Light,  built  in  1803;  Saybrook  Light,  Eaton's  Neck 
Light,  of  wood,  50  feet  high;  Sands  Point  Light,  built  in  1809, 
of  stone,  80  feet  high;  Montauk  Point  Light,  Sandy  Hook 
Light.  Cape  Henlopen,  of  stone,  115  feet  high;  Cape  Henry 
Light,  Old  Point  Comfort  Light,  Smith's  Point  Light,  on  the 
Potomac  Eiver;  Cape  Hatteras  Light,  Cape  Fear  Light,  Cape 
Lookout  Light,  Charleston  Light,  house  of  brick,  90  feet  high; 
Tybee  Island  Light,  80  feet  high;  St.  Simon  Light. 

About  the  first  light  ships  we  find  are  two  that  were  built 
at  New  York,  one  in  1823,  for  Carysfort  Reef,  off  the  Florida 
coast,  and  one  in  1824,  for  Cape  Hatteras.  This  latter  vessel 
was  over  300  tons,  and  fitted  with  two  lights,  one  60  feet  and 
one  45  feet  above  the  deck  of  the  vessel.  Was  placed  on  her 
station  in  June,  1824,  but  in  the  early  Fall  of  the  year,  was 
found  adrift  off  the  Capes  of  the  James  River,  her  ground 
tackle  proving  too  light. 

In  1830  there  were  sixteen  light  vessels  on  the  Atlantic 
coast,  all  but  two  of  them  being  located  between  New 
York  Harbor  and  Savannah  River;  and  in  1837  there 
were  26  light  ships,  and  in  1842  there  were  30  light  ships 
on  the  Atlantic  coast,  but  5  of  which  stations  are  now 
supplied  with  a  light  vessel,  the  others  having  had  a  light 
house  erected  near  the  locality.  By  an  Act  of  Congress  of 
1854,  all  light  ships  were  required  to  be  fitted  with  fog  bells 
of  1,000  Ibs.  weight,  and  two  cannons,  but  in  1859  a  further 
change  was  made,  substituting  the  fog  horn  for  the  cannon, 
but  retaining  the  bell.  Two  or  three  of  the  iron-hull  steamers 
of  the  Coast  Survey  Bureau  having  been  laid  aside,  the  ma- 
chinery was  removed  and  the  hulls  fitted  for  light  vessels  and 
sent  to  the  Southern  coast,  about  1850. 

The  light  at  Christiana  Creek,  Delaware,  in  1844,  was 
lighted  by  gas  made  on  the  premises  from  common  resin  in 
retorts  similar  to  those  for  coal  gas.  The  next  year  the  light 
at  Reedy  Island,  on  the  Delaware  River,  was  lighted  by  the 
same  means.  The  use  of  resin  to  make  illuminating  gas  was 
the  practise  of  some  of  the  large  gas  companies  in  this  coun- 
try prior  to  1835,  but  had  been  abandoned  on  account  of  the 
varying  powrer  of  its  illumination.  About  1845  there  wer*» 
experiments  made  for  a  water  and  resin  gas,  and  it  may  have 
been  from  these  experiments  that  the  gas  was  placed  on  trial 


574  LIGHT   HOUSES,    LIGHT   SHIPS   AND   FOG    SIGNALS. 

at  these  light  houses.  It,  not  proving  a  success,  was  aban- 
doned after  a  long  trial.  There  was  a  further  trial  made  at 
Reedy  Island  in  1857.  Natural  gas  was  experimented  with 
in  1844,  at  the  Portland  Light,  on  Lake  Erie.  This  gas  was 
conveyed  through  pipes  a  distance  of  two  miles  to  the  light 
tower;  but  a  great  difficulty  in  its  use  was  found  in  the  col- 
lection of  water  in  the  pipes,  that  prevented  the  free  flow  of 
the  gas  to  the  lamps. 

The  light-house  service  was  reorganized  in  accordance 
with  an  Act  of  Congress,  approved  August  31,  1852,  with  a 
Board  similar  to  the  present  organization. 

The  first  improvement  in  the  fog  signal  was  its  operation 
by  power.  Its  blast  was  made  by  a  whistle,  as  well  as  a  fog 
horn,  for  both  were  erected  by  0.  L.  Daboll,  of  New  London, 
Conn.,  at  Beaver  Tail  Light,  in  Narragansett  Bay,  in  June, 
1851,  for  the  Light  House  Board,  he  having  been  experiment- 
ing for  an  improved  fog  signal  by  direction  of  the  Bureau. 
The  instrument  was  operated  by  compressed  air  of  40  Ibs. 
pressure,  obtained  through  two  air  pumps  driven  by  horse 
power.  Three  similar  machines  were  subsequently  erected  at 
Execution  Rocks  Light,  Little  Gull  Light,  and  on  Bartletts 
Reef  Light  vessel,  the  latter  being  operated  by  Jiand  power. 
This  latter  machine  consisted  of  a  cylindrical  reservoir,  or 
receiver,  in  the  head  of  which  were  two  air  pumps,  operated 
by  a  shaft  that  was  set  in  a  frame  fastened  on  top  of  the 
receiver.  On  the  outer  ends  of  the  shaft  were  the  cranks  for 
the  hand-power.  Just  inside  the  crank  on  one  side  was  the 
fly-wheel.  The  whistle  was  located  on  the  outer  edge  of  the 
head  of  the  receiver,  and  was  operated  by  a  handle  just  above 
the  whistle.  The  trumpet  Had  a  reed  in  the  small  end.  The 
horse-power  machine  was  similar,  but  the  shaft  was  operated 
through  a  tread-mill. 

It  was  found,  after  considerable  experience,  that  the 
weak  point  in  its  application  was  that  the  power  was  insuffi- 
cient at  times  to  maintain  the  proper  air-pressure  to  operate 
the  whistle,  or  fog  horn,  at  frequent  intervals.  It  was  also 
considered  to  be  too  costly  in  its  operation.  As  neither  horse- 
power nor  hand-power  had  met  the  requirements  for  blowing 
the  fog  signal,  the  inventor  sought  for  a  cheap  and  easily 
produced  power.  Steam  could  be  used,  but  water  for  the 


LIGHT   HOUSES,   LIGHT   SHIPS   AND   FOG   SIGNALS.  575 

boiler  could  not  always  be  obtained  in  the  exposed  situations 
of  a  light  house;  besides,  it  required  more  skilled  labor  than 
usually  to  be  found  at  light  stations  at  that  period.  It  was 
thought  to  be  too  expensive  for  such  a  purpose.  Such  a 
power  as  was  desired  was  at  hand  at  the  time,  but  not  in  the 
shape  to  be  used  for  this  purpose.  John  Ericcson  had  been 
experimenting  with  hot  air  for  power  purposes  for  some  years, 
but  it  was  not  until  1853  that  the  "Ericcson"  was  built  and 
fitted  with  hot-air  engines,  and  by  1855,  small  hot-air  engines 
were  to  be  obtained,  and  it  was  this  type  of  engine  that  C.  L. 
Daboll  used  to  operate  one  of  his  fog  trumpets,  in  May,  1855, 
at  New  London  Light  Station,  it  being  sounded  once  a  minute, 
with  a  duration  of  3  seconds.  The  hot-air  engine  did  prove 
under  practice  to  be  a  great  improvement,  but  it  had  many 
weak  points  that  it  took  several  years  to  overcome.  This 
trumpet  was  still  in  service  in  1864.  A  patent  was  granted 
C.  L.  Daboll  for  the  fog  trumpet,  June  26,  1860,  and  to  him 
belongs  the  credit  for  its  application  to  fog  signals.  Prior  to 
these  improvements,  bells,  rung  by  hand,  were  the  universal 
fog  signals.  In  1856,  the  experiment  was  tried  on  the  Pacific 
coast  of  using  a  24-pound  gun  to  fire  during  a  spell  of  fog.  A 
small  gun  was  also  used  on  the  east  coast  of  Maine  during  a 
fog  at  West  Quoddy  Head,  for  the  Boston  and  St.  Johns 
steamers. 

The  loss  of  the  S.  S.  "Arctic,"  of  the  Collins  line,  in  1854, 
probably  did  more  than  any  one  other  occasion  to  bring  the 
question  of  an  efficient  fog  signal  before  the  public,  for  the 
subject  was  much  discussed  and  engaged  the  close  attention 
of  those  directly  interested,  but  mainly  with  regard  to  the 
best  means  that  one  vessel  had  to  advise  another  in  the  same 
locality  of  her  situation  by  some  phonetic  signal.  It  also 
brought  forward  the  question  of  the  usefulness  of  the  steam 
whistle  on  land  as  a  fog  signal.  The  successful  application 
of  one  would  help  the  other  situation. 

As  early  as  1855  there  were  iron  bell  boats  in  service. 
These  were  about  thirty  feet  long,  and  fitted  with  a  bell  of  500 
pounds  weight,  that  was  elevated  about  fifteen  feet  on  a 
frame  built  in  the  vessel,  and  the  bell  rung  by  the  motion 
of  the  sea,  imparted  to  the  vessel.  These  bell  boats  were 
used  at  the  mouth  of  San  Francisco  harbor,  Alden's  Bock, 


576  LIGHT    HOUSES,    LIGHT    SHIPS    AND    FOG    SIGNALS. 

at  Portland,  Maine,  harbor,  and  at  the  mouth  of  Boston 
harbor.  By  1858,  the  number  in  service  had  increased  to 
ten  or  more.  The  next  year  the  Board  gave  up  the 
use  of  these  bell  boats,  for  there  were  so  many  that  were 
seriously  injured  from  collisions  through  other  vessels,  and 
sunk,  or  broke  loose  from  their  moorings,  that  they  consid- 
ered them  too  costly  a  beacon  for  the  purpose,  and  decided  to 
substitute  the  bell  buoy.  They  also  found  in  the  high  lati- 
tudes that  they  collected  the  spray  in  cold  weather  to  such  an 
extent,  in  the  shape  of  ice,  as  to  founder  in  several  cases. 

The  first  steam  fog  whistle  and  machinery  was  constructed 
by  Murry  and  Hazelhurst,  of  Baltimore,  Md.,  in  April,  1857, 
and  erected  at  Beaver  Tail  Light  Station  in  Narragansett  Bay 
in  the  latter  part  of  that  year.  Owing  to  the  lack  of  fresh 
water  and  other  causes,  the  latter  probably  being  want  of 
skill  in  operation  on  the  part  of  the  attendants,  it  did  little 
service.  It  was  replaced  in  1865  or  1866  by  a  caloric  engine. 
There  wrere  some  members  of  the  Light-House  Board  at  the 
time  of  the  erection  of  this  whistle  who  thought  fog  signals 
were  of  little  importance,  since  the  mariner  should  know  his 
locality  by  the  character  of  his  soundings,  or  should  not  ven- 
ture near  the  coast  until  the  fog  was  dissipated. 

During  the  period  covering  the  time  of  the  Civil  War, 
little  was  done  in  the  development  of  the  light-house  service^ 
for  many  of  the  lights  on  the  coast  below  the  James  River  had 
been  destroyed  and  others  had  gone  out  of  use,  so  that  the 
service  was  only  active  on  part  of  the  Atlantic  coast  and 
G  ulf  of  Mexico,  and  on  the  Pacific  coast.  Congress  made  an  ap- 
propriation in  1860  authorizing  the  Light-House  Board  to  make 
experiments  with  "DabolPs  trumpet  and  other  ear  signals," 
but  nothing  was  done  until  some  time  later.  It  was  not  until 
after  the  close  of  the  military  operations  that  we  find  officers 
detailed  to  the  service  who  began  to  take  the  preliminary 
steps  toward  any  improvement,  though  we  find  in  the  sum 
mer  of  1864  a  whistle  operated  by  a  caloric  engine  at 
Cape  Ann,  as  well  as  a  Daboll  trumpet,  that  was  blown 
through  the  same  agency,  that  was  located  at  Ports-des-Morts, 
Pilot  Island,  Lake  Michigan.  The  first  action  then  taken  in 
the  matter  of  fog  signals  was  the  further  use  of  the  Daboll 
trumpet  at  West  Quoddy  Head,  in  Maine,  this  instrument 


LIGHT   HOUSES,    LIGHT    SHIPS   AND    FOG    SIGNALS.  577 

being  operated  from  August  15,  1866,  through  the  agency  of  a 
Roper  hot-air  engine. 

There  now  began  a  series  of  experiments  that  extended 
over  several  years,  with  different  types  of  signals,  and  chang- 
ing them  in  some  cases  where  they  did  not  prove  efficient  to 
other  of  the  more  exposed  stations,  to  find  what  type  of 
signal  was  best  adapted  to  the  situation.  By  this  means  a 
great  deal  of  practical  knowledge  was  acquired  that  proved 
of  service  in  later  experiments. 

There  was  a  Daboll  trumpet  located  at  Thatcher  Island, 
Cape"  Ann,  in  the  early  part  of  1867,  but  an  8-inch  steam 
whistle  was  substituted  on  August  28,  1867.  This  was  re- 
moved for  a  Daboll  trumpet  in  June,  1869,  and  in  August, 
1871,  the  steam  whistle  was  again  doing  duty  at  this  station. 
A  trumpet  was  also  installed  at  Point  Judith  Station  on 
June  1,  1867,  being  driven  by  a  Roper  hot-air  engine.  The 
Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Company  erected  a  trumpet  operated 
by  a  caloric  engine  at  the  southern  point  of  the  entrance  to 
San  Francisco  Harbor,  California,  in  March,  1867. 

It  was  during  October,  1867,  that  experiments  were  made 
at  Sandy  Hook,  N.  J.,  by  Prof.  Joseph  Henry  and  other  officers 
of  the  Light-House  Board,  to  compare  different  instruments, 
and  to  examine  the  efficiency  of  the  siren,  then  a  new  signal. 
This  instrument  had  been  experimented  with  by  Felix  Brown, 
of  New  York  City,  who  had  obtained  a  patent  upon  its  use  on 
July  23,  1867.  It  was  originally  invented  by  Cagniard  de 
Latour,  and  was  well  known  as  a  means  of  comparing  sounds 
and  measuring  the  number  of  vibrations  in  different  musical 
notes.  It  was  operated  with  a  steam  pressure  of  50  pounds 
to  100  pounds  to  the  square  inch.  A  trumpet  was  part  of  the 
fixture  of  the  instrument.  An  8-inch  locomotive  whistle  was 
also  used,  as  well  as  a  first-class  Daboll  trumpet,  operated  by 
an  Ericcson  hot-air  engine,  under  an  air-pressure  of  from  15 
to  30  pounds.  The  result  of  these  experiments  was  the 
adoption  of  the  reed  trumpet,  the  whistle,  and  the  siren  for 
the  more  important  stations. 

It  is  found  subsequent  to  these  trials  that  the  steam 
whistle  was  brought  into  more  general  use.  At  Point  Judith 
Station  the  trumpet  was  removed  for  a  steam  whistle  in  Sep- 
tember, 1868.  A  10-inch  steam  whistle  was  located  at  Cape 


578  LIGHT    HOUSES,    LIGHT    SHIPS    AND    FOG    SIGNALS. 

Elizabeth  Station,  Portland,  Maine,  on  June  15,  1869.  This 
instrument  consisted  of  a  locomotive  boiler,  with  the  whistle 
and  attachments  on  the  dome  of  the  boiler,  and  wras  con- 
structed by  Charles  Staples  &  Sons,  machinists,  of  Portland. 
This  whistle  was  heard  5  miles  to  the  windward  during  heavy 
weather,  and  11  miles  in  moderate  weather.  On  August  3, 
1869,  a  steam  whistle  was  first  put  in  operation  in  place  of  a 
trumpet  at  West  Quoddy  Head  Station,  and  at  Whitehead 
Light  Station,  at  the  entrance  to  Penobscot  River,  a  whistle 
was  substituted  for  the  fog  bell,  November  17,  1869.  During 
the  winter  of  1869,  the  power  at  Beaver  Tail  Light  was 
changed  to  steam. 

Some  of  the  early  improvements  were: 

WHISTLE. 

M artinicus  Hock  Light  Station July  7,  1870 

Pigeon  Point  Light — California Sept.  10.  1871 

Pass  O  FOutree  Light — Mississippi  Kiver.  ....  .Aug.  15,  1872 

South-West  Pass  Light — Mississippi  Kiver.  . .  .Aug.  15,  1872 

Seguin  Light  Station — Kennebec  Kiver Aug.  28,  1872 

Point  Conception — California Sept.  26,  1872 

Race  Point  Light  Station  12"— Cape  Cod,  Mass.June  20,  1873 

DABOLL   TRUMPET. 

Cape  Ann  Light — Thatcher's  Island June  30,  I860 

Execution  Rock  Light — Long  Island  Sound ...  Jan'y  25,  1869 

Manana  Island — Monhegan  Light  Station April  4,  1870 

Boston  Light — Boston,  Mass Oct.  29,  1871 

Portland  Head  Light— Portland,  Me Nov.,  1871 

Montauk  Point  Light — Long  Island May  1,  1873 

Highland  Light— Cape  Cod. June  23,  1873 

SIREN. 

East  Beacon  Light— Sandy  Hook,  N.  J March  31,  1868 

Little  Gull  Light— Long  Island  Sound Dec.  15,  1869 

Batons  Neck  Light — Long  Island  Sound July,  1871 

Point  Judith  Light— Rhode  Island May  1,  1873 

The  United  States  government  at  a  very  early  date  saw 
the  importance  of  a  further  improvement  in  fog  signals  as 
aids  to  navigation.  About  1850,  when  the  California  gold 


LIGHT    HOUSES,    LIGHT    SHIPS    AND    FOG    SIGNALS.  579 

fever  began  in  earnest,  and  the  Collins  line  began  operations, 
our  coastwise  commerce  and  our  inland  marine  increased  so 
rapidly  that  it  became  necessary  that  something  far  in  ad- 
vance of  the  old  system  for  the  safety  of  vessels  should  be 
obtained  and  made  use  of.  In  1855  the  Light-House  Board 
had  Prof.  J.  H.  Alexander,  of  Baltimore,  Md.,  make  investiga- 
tions, especially  of  the  use  of  the  locomotive  whistle  as  a  fog 
signal,  with  several  experiments  with  the  instrument.  It  wras 
not  until  October,  1865,  that  the  further  investigation  of  the 
subject  was  taken,  when  at  New  Haven,  Conn.,  steam  whistles, 
bells,  steam  gong  or  double  whistle,  and  the  trumpet  were  put 
to  extended  tests,  the  penetrating  power  of  the  different  in- 
struments being  carefully  compared.  Again,  in  1867,  at 
Sandy  Hook,  N.  J.,  trials  were  made  as  before  referred  to. 
A  very  thorough  investigation  through  a  long  series  of  experi- 
ments was  carried  forward  at  Portland,  Maine,  in  1871,  by 
General  J.  C.  Duane,  then  the  engineer  officer  in  charge  of 
the  First  and  Second  Light  House  District,  and  one  who  was 
well  qualified  for  the  duty  from  his  wrell-known  scientific 
ability.  It  was  from  these  experiments  that  dates  the  first 
stage  of  the  expansion  of  our  fog-signal  system.  While  all 
the  conclusions  arrived,  at  were  not  generally  accepted,  still 
it  served  as  a  most  firm  basis  to  build  on.  Further  extended 
trials  were  made  in  August,  1873,  under  Prof.  Henry,  who  was 
the  scientific  adviser  of  the  Light-House  Board  and  in  charge 
of  the  experiments,  with  Commander  J.  G.  Walker — the  present 
Rear  Admiral — then  Naval  Secretary  of  the  Board.  These 
were  carried  out  on  the  Maine  coast,  and  an  opportunity  there 
presented  itself  to  examine  the  question  of  the  "silent  area" 
from  the  blast  of  the  fog  signal,  though  no  conclusion  was  then 
arrived  at.  This  was  again  inquired  into  during  the  experi- 
ments of  1874,  on  Long  Island  Sound.  The  later  experiments 
include  those  conducted  at  the  time  of  the  loss  of  the  "Rhode 
Island''  in  Narragansett  Bay,  in  1880,  and  in  the  fall  of  1893, 
Prof.  Hazen  and  Dr.  White,  and  Mr.  A.  B.  Johnson,  Chief 
Clerk  of  the  Light-House  Board,  who  has  scientific  ability  of 
no  low  order,  conducted  a  series  of  experiments  especially  to 
investigate  the  phenomenon  of  "ghosts"  or  silent  areas  near  a 
fog  signal.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  government  has 
ever  had  before  them  the  improvement  of  the  fog-signal  ser- 


580  LIGHT   HOUSES,    LIGHT    SHIPS   AND    FOG    SIGNALS. 

vice,  and  while  they  may  not  have  solved  the  question  of  the 
silent  area,  still  they  have  increased  the  number  of  signals 
to  such  an  extent  that  at  this  time  they  have  over  180  in 
service  that  are  operated  by  steam,  caloric,  or  oil  engines. 

The  steam  fog  whistle  was  first  introduced  on  our  light 
vessels  in  1875,  on  Light  Ships  No.  39  and  No.  40.  The  siren, 
driven  by  hot-air  engine,  was  introduced  in  1876,  on  Light 
Ship  No/  41. 

Hell  Gate  electric  light  was  first  exhibited  October  20, 
1884,  and  discontinued  December  1,  1886. 

The  first  light-house  tender  on  the  Pacific  coast  was  the 
"Schubrick,"  built  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  and  left  for  the  Pacific 
coast  in  January,  3859,  under  command  of  Capt.  John  De 
Camp. 

The  automatic  whistling  buoy  was  invented  in  1876  by 
J.  M.  Courtneay,  of  Cornwall,  N.  Y.,  who  had  been  a  com- 
mander of  steam  vessels  on  the  Atlantic  coast.  The  Light- 
House  Board  took  one  on  trial  in  February,  1876,  placed  it 
in  the  lower  part  of  New  York  Bay,  and  during  the  next 
August  placed  one  off  Fire  Island  Light  Station,  Long  Island, 
and  the  next  month  placed  two  on  the  coast  of  Maine. 

A  few  results  from  the  investigations  made  by  the  Light- 
House  Board  where  the  "silent  area"  surrounding  a  fog 
signal  has  been  developed  may  be  of  interest,  with  some  con- 
clusions drawn  from  the  data  obtained  at  the  time. 

General  Duane,  in  his  report  of  experiments  made  on  the 
coast  of  Maine,  in  1871,  says  in  part : 

"There  are  six  steam  fog  signals  on  the  coast  of  Maine;  these 
have  been  frequently  heard  at  a  distance  of  twenty  miles,  and 
as  frequently  cannot  be  heard  at  the  distance  of  two  miles,  and 
this  with  no  perceptible  difference  in  the  state  of  the 
atmosphere.  The  signal  is  often  heard  at  a  great  distance  in 
one  direction,  while  in  another  it  will  be  scarcely  audible  at 
the  distance  of  a  mile.  This  is  not  the  effect  of  wind,  as  the 
signal  is  frequently  heard  much  farther  against  the  wind  than 
with  it.  For  example,  the  whistle  on  Cape  Elizabeth  can 
always  be  distinctly  heard  in  Portland,  a  distance  of  nine 
miles,  during  a  heavy  northeast  snowr  storm,  the  wrind  blowing 
a  gale  directly  from  Portland  toward  the  whistle. 


LIGHT   HOUSES,    LIGHT    SHIPS   AND    FOG   SIGNALS.  581 

"The  most  perplexing  difficulty,  however,  arises  from  the 
fact  that  the  signal  often  appears  to  be  surrounded  by  a  belt, 
varying  in  radius  from  one  to  one  and  a  half  miles,  from  which 
the  sound  appears  to  be  entirely  absent.  Thus,  in  moving 
directly  from  a  station,  the  sound  is  audible  for  the  distance  of 
a  mile,  is  then  lost  for  about  the  same  distance,  after  which  it 
is  again  distinctly  heard  for  a  long  time.  This  action  is 
common  to  all  ear  signals,  and  has  been  at  times  observed  at 
all  the  stations,  at  one  of  which  the  signal  is  situated  on  a 
bare  rock  twenty  miles  from  the  mainland,  with  no  surround- 
ing objects  to  affect  the  sound." 

Prof.  Henry  and  Commander  J.  G.  Walker,  U.  S.  N.,  left 
Portland,  Me.,  August  12,  1873,  in  the  tender  "Myrtle,"  for 
Whilehead  Light  Station,  at  which  place  abnormal  phenomena 
of  sound  had  been  observed.  "Whitehead  Light  Station  is  on 
a  small  island  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  coast  of 
Maine,  on  the  western  side  of  the  entrance  to  Penobscot  Bay, 
and  in  the  direct  line  of  the  coasting  steamers  and  other 
vessels  from  the  westward  bound  into  the  Penobscot  Bay  and 
River.  The  light  house  and  fog  signal  are  situated  on  the 
south-east  slope  of  the  island,  the  surface  of  which  consists 
almost  entirely  of  rock,  the  middle  being  an  elevation  of  75 
feet  above  the  mean  tide  level. 

"The  phenomena  which  had  been  observed  at  this  and 
other  stations  along  the  coast  consisted  of  great  variation  of 
intensity  of  sound,  while  approaching  and  receding  from  the 
station.  As  an  example  of  this,  we  may  state  the  experience 
of  the  observers  on  board  the  steamer  "City  of  Richmond"  on 
one  occasion,  during  a  thick  fog  in  the  night  in  1872.  The 
vessel  was  approaching  Whitehead  from  the  southwestward, 
when,  at  a  distance  of  about  six  miles  from  the  station,  the 
fog  signal,  which  is  a  10-inch  steam  whistle,  was  distinctly 
perceived  and  continued  to  be  heard  with  increasing  intensity 
of  sound  until  within  about  three  miles,  when  the  sound 
suddenly  ceased  to  be  heard,  and  was  not  perceived  again 
until  the  vessel  approached  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the 
station,  although  from  conclusive  evidence,  furnished  by  the 
keeper,  it  was  shown  that  the  signal  had  been  sounding  during 
the  whole  time.  The  wind^during  this  time  was  from  the  south, 


LIGHT   HOUSES,   LIGHT   SHIPS   AND    FOG'  SIGNALS. 

or  approximately  in  an  opposite  direction  to  the  sound.  Another 
fact  connected  with  this  occurrence  was  that  the  keeper  on  the 
island  distinctly  heard  the  whistle  of  the  steamer,  which  was 
commenced  to  be  blown  as  soon  as  the  whistle  at  the  station 
ceased  to  be  heard,  in  order  to  call  the  attention  of  the  keeper 
to  what  was  supposed  to  be  a  neglect  of  his  duty  in  inter- 
mitting the  operations  of  his  signal.  It  should  be  observed  in 
this  case  that  the  sound  from  the  steamer  was  produced  by  a 
6-inch  whistle,  while  that  of  the  station  was  from  an  instru- 
ment of  the  same  kind  of  10  inches  in  diameter;  or,  in  other 
words,  a  lesser  sound  was  heard  from  the  steamer,  while  a 
sound  of  greater  volume  was  unheard  in  an  opposite  direction 
from  the  station.  It  is  evident  that  this  result  could  not  be 
due  to  any  mottled  condition  or  want  of  acoustic  transparency 
of  the  atmosphere,  since  this  would  absorb  the  sound  equally 
in  both  directions.  The  only  plausible  explanation  of  this 
phenomenon  is  that  which  refers  it  to  the  action  of  the  wind. 
In  the  case  of  the  sound  from  the  steamer,  the  wind  was 
favorable  for  its  transmission,  and  hence  it  is  not  strange  that 
its  sound  should  be  heard  on  the  island  when  the  sound  from 
the  other  instrument  could  not  be  heard  on  the  steamer.  To 
explain  on  the  same  principle  the  fact  of  the  hearing  of  the 
sound  at  the  distance  of  six  miles,  and  afterwards  of  losing 
it  at  the  distance  of  three  miles,  we  have  only  to  suppose  that 
in  the  first  instance  the  retarding  effect  of  the  wind  was  small, 
and  that  in  the  second  it  became  much  greater  on  account  of 
a  sudden  increase  in  the  relative  velocity  of  the  current  in  the 
upper  and  lower  portions.  : 

"After  making  a  critical  examination  of  the  island  and 
the  position  of  the  machinery,  and  also  in  regard  to  any 
obstacle  which  might  interfere  with  the  propagation  of  the 
sound,  the  keeper  was  directed  to  put  the  instrument  in  oper- 
ation and  to  continue  to  sound  it  for  at  least  two  hours,  or 
until  the  steamer  was  lost  sight  of,  which  direction  was  com- 
plied with.  In  passing  from  the  island  almost  directly  against 
a  light  wind,  the  intensity  of  the  sound  gradually  diminished 
as  a  whole  with  the  increase  of  distance,  but  varied  in  loudness 
from  blast  to  blast,  now  louder,  then  again  more  feeble,  until 
it  finally  ceased  at  a  distance  of  about  fifteen  miles,  as  esti- 
mated by  the  intervals  between  the  blasts  and  the  sight  of 


LIGHT   HOUSES,   LIGHT    SHIPS   AND    FOG    SIGNALS.  583 

the  steam  as  seen  through  a  spy-glass,  and  also  from  points  on 
the  Coast  Survey  charts. 

•'The  result  of  this  investigation  clearly  showed  the  power 
of  the  apparatus  in  propagating  sound  under  conditions  not 
entirely  favorable,  since  the  wind,  though  light,  was  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  sound." 

In  some  investigations  held  during  the  same  month  in  the 
vicinity  of  Cape  Elizabeth  Light  Station,  at  Portland,  Maine, 
it  was  found:  "During  the  foregoing  experiments,  when  the 
vessel  was  about  a  mile  from  the  station,  steaming  directly 
outward  in  the  prolongation  of  the  axis  of  the  instrument, 
there  was  heard  after  each  sound  of  the  whistle  a  distinct 
echo  from  the  broad,  unobstructed  ocean,  which  was  attributed 
at  the  time,  as  in  other  cases,  to  reflections  from  the  crests 
and  hollows  of  the  waves,  a  similar  phenomenon  having  since 
been  referred  to  a  reflection  from  air  of  a  different  density. 
This  observation  becomes  important  in  regard  to  the  solution 
of  the  question  as  to  the  abnormal  phenomena  of  sound."  This 
course  of  experiments  covered  those  made  at  Cape  Ann  Light, 
as  well  as  at  Boston  Light  Station. 

In  August,  1874,  observations  were  made  at  Little  Gull 
Island  Light  Station,  in  Long  Island  Sound,  from  the  light- 
house tender  "Putnam."  "At  this  place  are  two  sirens,  the 
one  to  replace  the  other  in  case  of  an  accident.  One  of  the 
sirens  was  sounded  with  a  pressure  of  50  pounds  per  square 
inch.  The  wind  was  across  the  axis  of  the  trumpet,  and  almost 
precisely  at  right  angles  to  it. 

"The  steamer  was  headed  against  the  wind,  on  a  line  at 
right  angles  to  the  axis  of  the  trumpet.  The  sound  in  this 
case  also  traveled  against  the  wind,  which  was  at  an  estimated 
velocity  of  from  4  to  5  miles  per  hour.  The  distance  traveled 
before  the  sound  became  inaudible  was  estimated  by  the  speed 
of  the  steamer  at  3%  miles. 

"The  steamer  was  next  headed  in  an  opposite  direction 
and  returned  along  its  previous  path,  across  the  mouth  of  the 
trumpet  of  the  siren,  the  sound  gradually  increasing  in 
strength  without  any  marked  irregularity,  until  the  siren  was 
reached,  and  on  leaving  this,  the  course  remaining  the  same, 
the  sound  gradually  diminished  in  intensity,  but  with  less 
rapidity  than  before,  until  it  was  finally  lost  at  a  distance  of 


584  LIGHT    HOUSES,    LIGHT    SHIPS   AND    FOG    SIGNALS. 

71/2  miles.  In  the  latter  instance  the  movement  of  the  sound 
was  with  the  wind.  The  result  of  these  observations  was  con- 
formable to  that  generally  obtained  from  previous  observa- 
tions, namely,  that  the  sound  is  seldom  or  never  heard  at  the 
same  distance  in  different  directions,  and,  moreover,  that  it 
is  generally  heard  farther  with  the  wind  than  against  it. 

"The  observations  of  this  day  also  illustrate  the  spread  of 
the  sound  wave  on  either  side  of  the  axis  of  the  trumpet,  a 
fact  which  has  frequently  been  observed  in  other  investiga- 
tions. It  may  be  well  to  mention  that  the  siren  trumpet  at 
this  locality  is  directed  horizontally,  with  its  prolonged  axis 
passing  over,  immediately  in  front  of  the  mouth  of  the  trumpet, 
a  space  of  very  rough  ground,  the  surface  of  which  is  princi- 
pally composed  of  bowlders,  one  of  which,  of  very  large  size, 
is  directly  in  front  of  the  trumpet,  and  the  idea  occurred  that 
this  rough  surface  might  produce  some  effect  on  the  transmis- 
sion of  sound  to  a  distance.  I  observed  by  strewing  sand  upon 
a  paper  that  the  former  was  violently  agitated  when  held  near 
the  surface  of  the  large  bowlder  just  mentioned  during  the 
blast  of  the  siren  trumpet. 

"At  this  station,  during  the  visit  of  Sir  Frederick  Arrow, 
the  sound  was  lost  in  the  direction  of  the  axis  of  the  trumpet 
at  a  distance  of  two  miles,  and  then  again  regained  with  dis- 
tinctness at  the  light  vessel,  a  distance  of  four  and  one-half 
miles.  This  was  what  we  have  denominated  as  an  abnormal 
phenomenon,  which  we  think  was  due  to  a  slight  variation  in 
the  velocity  of  the  lower  or  upper  part  of  the  current  of  air, 
but,  unfortunately,  the  demand  for  the  use  of  the  vessel  as  a 
light-house  tender  prevented  the  attempt  to  ascertain  whether 
the  same  phenomenon  would  be  observed  a  second  time  and 
to  further  investigate  its  cause." 

Some  days  later  than  the  previous  investigations,  while 
making  observations  at  Block  Island,  the  ocean  echo  received 
their  attention.  "This  occasion  also  furnished  very  favorable 
conditions  for  observing  the  remarkable  phenomenon  of  the 
ocean  echo.  At  the  cessation  of  each  blast  of  the  trumpet, 
after  a  slight  interval,  a  distinct  and  prolonged  echo  was 
returned  from  the  unobstructed  ocean.  It  is  important  to 
observe  in  regard  to  this  phenomenon  that  the  siren  is  placed 
near  the  edge  of  a  perpendicular  cliff,  at  an  elevation  of  from 


LIGHT   HOUSES,   LIGHT    SHIPS   AND   FOG   SIGNALS.  585 

75  to  100  feet  above  the  ocean,  and,  furthermore,  that  the 
direction  of  the  wind  formed  an  angle  of  about  35°  with  the 
axis  of  the  trumpet.  Now,  the  loudness  of  this  echo  was  not 
the  greatest  at  the  siren  house,  but  increased  in  intensity  until 
a  point  was  reached  several  hundred  yards  from  the  trumpet, 
approximately  more  in  accordance  with  a  reflection  from  the 
waves.  The  wind  was  blowing  from  the  shore  with  the  direc- 
tion of  the  sound,  as  it  went  off  from  the  trumpet,  and  nearly 
against  it  on  the  return  of  the  echo.  I  have  attributed  this 
phenomenon,  which  was  first  observed  in  1866  at  East  Quoddy 
Head,  on  the  coast  of  Maine,  and  since  at  various  stations  at 
which  the  trumpet  or  siren  has  been  used,  to  the  reflection  of 
the  sound  from  the  crests  and  slopes  of  the  waves,  and  the 
observation  we  have  mentioned  would  appear  to  favor  this 
hypothesis." 

Tn  1875  there  were  a  few  weeks  given  to  investigations, 
and  Little  Gull  Light  Station  was  the  scene  of  further  observa- 
tions during  the  month  of  September,  and  covering  a  period  of 
six  days.  The  report  says:  "The  object  of  these  investigations 
was  to  obtain  facts  which  might  serve  to  establish  the  true 
theory  of  the  abnormal  phenomena  of  sound,  an  object,  inde- 
pendent of  its  scientific  interest,  of  much  practical  importance 
in  its  application  to  fog  signals.  Although  the  observations 
were  not  as  perfect  as  we  could  wish  in  many  respects,  from 
want  of  certain  appliances,  they  are  yet  sufficient,  we  think,  to 
establish  principles  of  much  practical  value.  For  example,  if 
the  mariner,  in  approaching  a  fog  signal  while  the  wind  is 
blowing  against  the  sound,  fails  to  perceive  it  on  deck,  he  will 
probably  hear  it  by  ascending  to  the  masthead;  or,  in  case  a 
sound  from  a  given  station  is  constantly  obscured  in  a  certain 
direction  while  it  is  audible  in  adjacent  directions,  we  may 
attribute  it  to  a  sound  shadow  produced  by  some  interposing 
object.  If  again,  the  obscuration  of  sound  in  a  given  direction 
is  only  observed  during  a  wind  moving  against  the  sound,  the 
cause  will  probably  be  found  in  a  lateral  refraction  due  to  the 
retardation  of  the  current  of  wind  against  a  perpendicular 
wall  or  cliff.  The  subject,  however,  is  one  of  great  complexity, 
and  requires  further  investigation,  but  the  results  thus  far 
obtained  may  be  considered  as  furnishing  the  preliminary  data 
on  which  to  found  more  precise  observations," 


58G  LIGHT   HOUSES,   LIGHT   SHIPS   AND   FOG   SIGNALS. 

Beaver  Tail  Fog  Signal. — "This  fog  signal  is  on  the  point 
of  that  name  which  separates  the  East  Passage  from  the  West 
Passage,  both  leading  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean  to  Narragansett 
Bay.  The  open  ocean  lies  to  the  south.  The  island  on  which 
Newport  is  situated  is  about  half  a  mile  to  the  east.  The  land 
on  which  the  rival  watering  place,  called  Narragansett  Pier,  is 
located,  is  about  a  mile  to  the  west.  Both  shores  have  many 
and  deep  indentations.  The  great  Sound  steamers  go  either 
to  the  eastward  or  westward  as  they  may  be  bound  to  Newport 
and  Fall  River,  or  Providence,  and  in  the  fog  they  are  guided 
to  a  certain  extent  by  the  steam  whistle,  which  is  the  fog 
signal  at  Beaver  Tail  Point.  One  of  these  steamers,  the 
'Rhode  Island,'  in  attempting  the  west  passage  on  the  night 
of  November  6,  1880,  ran  ashore  on  Bonnet  Point,  about  1% 
miles  northwest  from  Beaver  Tail.  The  fog  was  dense  and 
there  was  little  if  any  wind.  The  newspapers  stated  that  the 
officers  and  several  passengers  swore  that  the  fog  signal  at 
Beaver  Tail  was  not  sounding  at  the  time.  Subsequent  inves- 
tigation made  at  the  instance  of  the  Light-House  Board,  by 
Lieut-Corn.  Chadwick,  U.  S.  N.,  showed  that  the  fog  signal  was 
sounding,  and  that  it  was  heard  several  miles  away  in  several 
directions.  Soon  after,  I  had  another  opportunity  to  further 
observe  the  operations  of  this  signal.  We  left  Narragansett 
Pier,  Rhode  Island,  on  August  6,  1881,  at  4  P.  M.,  in  a  dense 
fog,  with  a  strong  breeze  from  the  W.S.W.  and  a  heavy  chop 
sea.  We  wished  to  ascertain  how  far  the  Beaver  Tail  fog 
signal  could  be  heard  dead  to  windward  and  in  the  heaviest  of 
fogs.  At  Whale  Rock,  1^  miles  from  it,  we  did  not  hear  a 
trace  of  it.  Then  the  steamer  was  headed  directly  for  Beaver 
Tail  Point,  and  we  ran  slowly  for  it  by  compass  until  the  pilot 
stopped  the  steamer,  declaring  we  were  almost  aboard  of  the 
signal  itself.  Every  one  strained  his  ears  to  hear  the  signal, 
but  without  success,  and  we  had  begun  to  doubt  of  our  position 
when,  the  fog  lifting  slightly,  we  saw  the  breakers  in  altogether 
too  close  proximity  for  comfort.  We  passed  the  point  as  closely 
as  was  safe,  and  when  abreast  of  it  and  at  right  angles  with 
the  direction  of  the  wind,  the  sound  of  the  fog  signal  broke  on 
us  suddenly  and  with  its  full  power.  We  then  ran  down  the 
wind  to  Newport  and  carried  the  sound  with  us  all  the  wray.  The 
fog  continuing  during  the  next  day,  the  signal  kept  up  its 


LIGHT   HOUSES,   LIGHT    SHIPS   AND   FOG    SIGNALS.  587 

sound,  and  we  heard  it  distinctly  and  continuously  at  our 
wharf,  though  five  miles  distant." 

On  the  night  of  May  12th,  1881,  about  midnight,  the 
"Galatea,"  a  propeller  of  the  New  York  and  Providence  line, 
bound  through  Long  Island  Sound  from  Providence,  was 
grounded  in  a  dead  calm  and  a  dense  fog  on  Little  Gull  Island, 
about  one-eighth  of  a  mile  from  and  behind  the  fog  signal,  and 
got  off  two  days  later  without  damage.  'It  was,  as  usual, 
alleged  that  the  fog  signal,  a  steam  siren,  at  Little  Gull  Light, 
was  not  in  operation  at  the  time  of  the  accident,  and  the 
Light-House  Board  immediately  ordered  an  investigation.  This 
was  made  by  the  assistant  inspector  of  the  lighthouse  district, 
a  naval  officer,  who  reported  that  after  taking  the  sworn 
evidence  of  the  light  keepers  at  Little  Gull  and  the  other 
light  stations  within  hearing  distance,  of  other  government 
officers  who  were  for  the  time  being  so  located  that  they 
might  have  had  knowledge  of  the  facts,  and  of  the  officers  of 
vessels  that  were  within  ear-shot,  including  those  of  the 
"Galatea,"  he  reached  the  conclusion  that  the  fog  signal  was 
sounding  at  the  time  of  the  accident;  and  that,  although  the 
fog  signal  was  heard  at  Mystic,  15  miles  distant  in  another 
direction,  and  although  it  was  heard  on  a  steam  tug  a  mile 
beyond  the  "Galatea,"  that  it  was  heard  faintly,  if  not  at  all,  on 
tfhat  vessel;  and  if  heard  at  all,  was  so  heard  as  to  be  mis- 
leading, though  the  "Galatea"  was  but  one-eighth  of  a  mile 
from  the  source  of  the  sound." 

It  appears  that  this  officer  spent  several  days  steaming 
around  Little  Gull  while  the  fog  signal  was  in  full  blast,  in 
various  kinds  of  weather,  and  that  he  found  the  aberrations 
in  audition  here  were  as  numerous,  and  even  more  eccentric, 
than  those  before  mentioned  as  experienced  at  Beaver  Tail. 

Mr.  A.  B.  Johnson,  of  the  Light-House  Service,  who  served 
as  one  of  the  committee  making  investigations  with  Professors 
C.  A.  White  and  H.  A.  Hazen,  in  1890,  offered  for  consideration 
to  the  mariner  some  suggestions  as  to  the  fog  signal. 

"It  seems  that  the  mariner  should,  in  order  to  pick  up  the 
sound  of  the  fog  signal  most  quickly  when  approaching  it  from 
the  windward,  go  aloft,  and  that  when  approaching  it  from 
the  leeward  the  nearer  he  can  get  to  the  surface  of  the  water 
tlie  sooner  he  will  hear  the  sound,, 


588  LIGHT   HOUSES,   LIGHT   SHIPS   AND    FOG    SIGNALS. 

"It  also  appears  that  there  are  some  things  the  mariner 
should  not  do. 

"He  should  place  no  negative  dependence  on  the  fog  signal; 
that  is,  he  should  not  assume  that  he  is  out  of  hearing  distance 
because  he  fails  to  hear  its  sound. 

"He  should  not  assume  that  because  he  hears  a  fog  signal 
but  faintly  he  is  at  a  great  distance  from  it. 

"^Neither  should  he  assume  that  he  is  near  to  it  because 
he  hears  the  sound  plainly.  He  should  not  assume  that  he 
has  reached  a  given  point  on  his  course  because  he  hears  the 
fog  signal  at  the  same  intensity  that  he  did  when  formerly  at 
that  point.  Neither  should  he  assume  that  he  has  not  reached 
this  poirt  because  he  fails  to  hear  the  fog  signal  as  loudly  as 
before  or  because  he  does  not  hear  it  at  all.  He  should  not 
assume  that  the  fog  signal  has  ceased  sounding,  because  he 
fails  to  hear  it  even  when  within  easy  ear-shot. 

"He  should  not  assume  that  the  aberrations  of  audibility 
which  pertain  to  any  one  fog  signal  pertain  to  any  other  fog 
signal.  He  should  not  expect  to  hear  a  fog  signal  as  well 
when  the  upper  and  lower  currents  of  air  run  in  different 
directions;  that  is,  when  his  upper  sails  fill  and  his  lower  sails 
Hap,  nor  when  his  lower  sails  fill  and  his  upper  sails  flap. 

"He  should  not  expect  to  hear  the  fog  signal  so  well  when 
between  him  and  it  is  a  swiftly  flowing  stream,  especially  when 
the  tide  and  wind  run  in  opposite  directions. 

"He  should  not  expect  to  hear  it  well  during  a  time  of 
electric  disturbance. 

"He  should  not  expect  to  hear  a  fog  signal  well  when  the 
sound  must  reach  him  overland,  as  over  a  point  or  an  island. 

"And,  when  there  is  a  bluff  behind  the  fog  signal,  he  should 
be  prepared  for  irregular  intervals  in  audition,  such  as  might 
be  produced  conld  the  sound  ricochet  from  the  trumpet  as  a 
ball  would  from  a  cannon ;  that  is,  he  might  hear  it  at  2,  4,  6, 
8  and  10  miles  from  the  signal,  and  lose  it  at  1,  3,  5,  7,  9  and  11 
miles'  distance,  or  at  any  other  combination  of  distances, 
regular  or  irregular 

"These  deductions,  some  made  as  previously  mentioned  by 
several  of  the  first  physicists  of  the  age,  and  some  drawn  from 
the  original  investigations  here  noted,  are  submitted  for  con- 


LIGHT   HOUSES,   LIGHT   SHIPS   AND   FOG   SIGNALS.  589 

sideratioii  rather  than  given  as  directions.  They  are  assumed 
as  good  working  hypotheses  for  use  in  future  investigation. 
While  it  is  claimed  that  they  are  correct  as  to  the  localities  in 
which  they  were  made,  it  seems  proper  to  say  that  they  have 
not  been  disproved  by  the  practical  mariners  who  have  given 
them  some  personal  consideration,  and  who  have  tried  to  carry 
them  into  general  application.  Hence  these  suggestions  have 
been  set  down  in  the  hope  that  others  with  greater  knowledge 
and  larger  leisure  may  give  the  subject  fuller  attention,  and 
work  out  further  results. 

"If  the  law  of  these  aberrations  of  audibility  can  be 
evolved  and  some  method  discovered  for  their  correction,  as 
the  variations  of  the  compass  are  corrected,  then  sound  may 
"be  depended  upon  as  a  more  definite  and  accurate  aid  to 
navigation.  Until  then,  the  mariner  will  do  well  when  he  does 
not  get  the  expected  sound  of  a  fog  signal,  to  assume  that  he 
may  not  hear  a  warning  that  is  faithfully  given,  and  then  to 
heave  his  lead  and  resort  to  the  other  means  used  by  the 
careful  navigator  to  make  sure  of  his  position.7'* 

There  have  been  further  investigations  made  along  the 
same  lines,  the  latest  being  those  made  on  the  coasts  of  Maine 
and  Massachusetts  in  1893  and  1894,  by  Major  W.  R.  Liver- 
more.  His  conclusions  contained  some  suggestions  covering 
different  ground  from  those  of  Mr.  Johnson,  in  these  words: 

"Mariners  differ  so  widely  in  capacity  that  rules  that 
would  be  very  useful  to  one  might  be  misleading  to  another. 
No  definite  instructions  can  be  prepared  that  will  insure 
against  accidents.  Even  the  best  of  seamen  are  often  har- 
assed by  cares  and  duties  that  divert  their  attention  for  the 
moment,  and  in  case  of  disaster  the  most  conflicting  accounts 
have  been  given  of  the  aberrations  of  the  audibility  of  fog 
signals. 

"The  noises  upon  a  ship,  the  noise  of  the  wind  and  waves, 
and  the  condition  of  the  nerves  all  affect  the  audibility  of  fog 

*  There  was  a  series  of  experiments  conducted  by  the  Trinity 
House  Committee — British  Light-House  Board — at  St.  Catherines  Point, 
in  the  English  Channel,  from  May  8  to  June  13,  1901,  and  in  the  very 
elaborate  report  made  on  the  result  of  the  tests  of  the  instruments 
used,  and  investigation  of  sound  from  fog  signals,  there  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  any  advance  made  beyond  the  position  held  by  the 
United  States  Light-House  Board  on  the  question. 


500  LIGHT   HOUSES,   LIGHT   SHIPS   AND   FOG   SIGNALS. 

signals  to  a  degree  that  can  best  be  appreciated  by  studying 
the  evidence.  It  is  impossible  to  navigate  in  bad  weather 
without  more  or  less  risk. 

"Mariners  should  study  the  principles  that  affect  the 
audibility  of  fog  signals,  just  as  they  study  the  art  of  naviga- 
tion, and  should  notice  the  wind  and  temperature  whenever 
they  hear  fog  signals.  They  should  only  depend  upon  hearing 
them  at  short  range,  unless  the  wind  and  weather  favor  the 
sound,  but  if  they  do  hear  them  at  long  range  they  should  make 
what  use  they  can  of  them. 

"They  should  remember  that  it  does  not  require  a  very 
heavy  wind  to  drive  back  the  sound;  that  a  southerly  wind 
generally  drives  back  the  sound  more  than  a  northerly  or  an 
easterly  one;  that  about  the  time  of  a  change  in  the  wind 
the  sound  is  not  generally  heard  as  far  as  usual;  that  when 
the  upper  and  lower  currents  of  air  run  in  different  directions, 
or  when  the  upper  sails  fill  and  the  lower  sails  flap,  or  con- 
versely, the  signal  is  not  to  be  depended  upon;  that  a  very 
heavy  wind  tends  to  break  up  all  sound;  that  if  a  vessel  is 
traveling  with  the  wind,  the  signal  will  probably  be  heard 
better  than  if  it  were  traveling  against  it;  that  behind  a  hill 
or  an  island  the  signal  may  be  heard  better  at  a  distance  than 
nearer  to  the  obstacle;  they  should  bear  in  mind  that  it  is 
hard  to  locate  a  feeble  sound,  and  even  a  strong  one  may 
appear  to  come  from  the  wrong  direction  if  it  is  obstructed 
by  objects  near  it,  even  by  objects  not  directly  in  the  straight 
line  between  the  observer  and  the  signal;  that  neighboring 
cliffs  and  sails  sometimes  reflect  the  sound;  that  the  sound 
may  be  cut  off  entirely  by  passing  vessels;  that  to  estimate 
the  direction  of  the  sound  the  head  should  be  turned  rapidly 
from  side  to  side  so  that  the  sound  may  reach  the  ears 
alternately." 

The  question  along  these  lines  that  is  receiving  attention 
just  at  present,  is  how  to  have  a  more  efficient  fog  signal  placed 
on  sailing  vessels  than  the  old-fashioned  fog  horn  that  has 
been  required  by  law  for  fifty  years.  Steam  vessels  certainly 
require  more  protection  from  sailing  vessels  in  a  fog  than  can 
be  furnished  by  the  fog  horn. 


STEAMBOAT   INSPECTION   SERVICE.  591 

STEAMBOAT  INSPECTION  SERVICE. 

The  first  law  in  this  country  "to  provide  for  the  better 
security  of  the  lives  of  passengers  on  board  of  vessels  propelled 
in  whole  or  in  part  by  steam,"  was  contained  in  the  Act  of 
Congress,  passed  July  7th,  1838.  The  inspectors  were  ap- 
pointed by  the  district  judges  of  the  United  States  Courts  in 
the  several  districts,  and  were  paid  the  sum  of  five  dollars  by 
the  owner  of  the  vessel  for  each  inspection.  To  show  the 
utter  worthlessness  of  the  inspections  at  this  date,  and  the 
formal  manner  in  which  they  were  carried  out,  the  testimony, 
in  part,  of  an  inspector,  given  at  a  coroner's  inquest,  where 
several  lives  were  lost  by  the  burning  of  a  large  passenger 
steamboat  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  will  suffice. 

"We  never  condemned  any  boat.  We  have  restricted 
them  to  a  certain  amount  of  steam." 

"When  you  inspect  a  boat  you  look  at  the  wood  and  do 
nothing  else?" 

"Yes,  we  take  our  fees." 

"How  do  you  examine  the  hull  of  a  vessel?" 

"Why,  I  examine  it  with  my  eyes.  I  go  and  inquire  the 
boat's  age ;  I  examine  the  hull  and  I  look  at  the  engine.  How 
much  do  you  suppose  I  am  to  do  for  five  dollars?" 

Then  the  inspectors  give  a  certificate,  in  which  they  state 
their  opinion  whether  the  said  vessel  is  sound  and  seaworthy 
and  fit  to  be  used  for  the  transportation  of  passengers  and 
freight  and  the  boiler  is  sound  and  fit  for  use,  together  with 
its  age.  Then  they  take  their  fees.  The  hulls  were  to  be 
examined  every  twelve  months  and  the  boilers  every  six 
months,  but  it  is  very  doubtful  if  any  were  examined  except 
by  the  advice  of  the  inspector.  It  was  a  trick  of  the  owner  at 
times,  that  if  a  vessel  prior  to  the  time  of  inspection  should 
not  have  the  required  number  of  small  boats  to  pass  the  law, 
he  would  borrow  them  for  the  occasion  and  return  them  after 
his  guests  had  examined  the  wood.  This  law  required  that 
all  steamboats  running  between  sunset  and  sunrise,  "to  carry 
one  or  more  signal  lights  that  may  be  seen  by  other  boats 
navigating  the  same  waters." 

In  an  Act  of  Congress  of  March  3d,  1843,  the  Secretary 
of  the  Navy  was  to  appoint  a  board  of  examiners  "consisting 


592  STEAMBOAT   INSPECTION   SERVICE. 

of  three  persons  of  thorough  knowledge  as  to  the  structure 
and  use  of  the  steam  engine,"  and  among  other  duties  required 
of  them  being,  "and  whether  hydrostatic  pressure,  or  what 
other  plan,  is  best  for  testing  the  strength  of  boilers  under  the 
inspection  laws,  and  what  limitation  as  to  the  force  or  pressure 
of  steam  to  the  square  inch,  in  proportion  to  the  ascertained 
capacity  of  a  boiler  to  resist,  it  would  be  proper  to  establish 
by  law  for  the  more  certain  prevention  of  explosions." 

In  the  chapter  of  Western  Eivers  in  this  work  will  be 
found  reference  to  a  State  law  of  Louisiana  in  1834,  requiring 
the  hydrostatic  pressure  in  the  testing  of  steam  boilers.  The 
laws  of  France  at  this  time  required  high-pressure  boilers  to 
be  proved  by  hydraulic  pressure  to  at  least  three  times  the 
working  pressure. 

The  law  of  August  30th,  1852,  was  a  radical  departure, 
for  while  the  previous  law  was  composed  of  but  13  sections, 
the  one  of  1852  contained  44  sections.  It  was  the  first  law 
of  the  United  States  under  which  the  hydrostatic  pressure  was 
applied  to  marine  steam  boilers  in  testing  them  by  the  in- 
spectors, as  well  as  making  it  compulsory  that  all  engineers 
and  pilots  of  passenger  steam  vessels  should  be  licensed  by 
the  local  inspectors,  who  were  designated  by  the  Judge  of 
the  United  States  District  Court  and  the  Supervising  Inspector 
of  the  district,  and  that  all  boiler  plates  were  to  be  stamped 
with  the  quality  of  iron  and  the  manufacturer's  name. 

The  controlling  body  under  this  law  was  a  Board  of 
Supervising  Inspectors,  consisting  of  nine  members,  appointed 
by  the  President,  who  were  "selected  for  their  knowledge, 
skill  and  experience  in  the  uses  of  steam  for  navigation,"  and 
was  composed  of  Samuel  Hall,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  who  was 
succeeded  by  William  Burnett  in  less  than  a  year ;  Charles  W. 
Copeland,  of  New  York  City;  James  Murray,  of  Baltimore, 
Md.;  P.  H.  Skipwith,  of  New  Orleans,  La.;  Davis  Ernbree,  of 
St.  Louis,  Mo.;  John  Shallcross,  of  Louisville,  Ky.;  Benj. 
Crawford,  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.;  Alfred  Guthrie,  of  Chicago,  111.; 
and  William  Bird,  of  Black  Eock,  N.  Y.  This  board  made  the 
original  rules  and  regulations  for  the  steamboat  service. 

This  law  was  mainly  brought  into  existence  by  the  amend- 
ing of  the  previous  law,  commenced  in  1850,  occasioned  by  the 
burning  of  the  steamer  "G.  B.  Griffith"  on  Lake  Erie,  on 


STEAMBOAT   INSPECTION   SERVICE.  593 

June  16th,  1850,  when  20  miles  below  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where 
there  was  a  large  loss  of  life.  In  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives, on  June  24th,  1850,  eight  days  after  the  loss  of  the  vessel, 
D.  K.  Carter,  a  member  of  the  House  from  Ohio,  offered  the 
following  resolution  to  that  body: 

''Resolved,  That  the  Committee  on  Commerce  be  in- 
structed to  inquire  into  the  expediency  of  providing  a  law 
compelling  all  craft  carrying  passengers  and  navigating  the 
waters  of  the  United  States,  or  sailing  under  the  authority  of 
the  United  States,  to  be  provided  with  ample  and  suitable 
resources  of  escape  to  passengers  in  case  of  accident  by  fire 
or  otherwise;  and  further  inquire  into  the  expediency  of 
making  certain  custom-house  officers  inspectors  to  carry  out 
any  law  in  pursuance  of  the  purposes  of  this  resolution;  and 
said  committee  report  by  bill  or  otherwise." 

Subsequently  the  Committee  on  Commerce  reported  a  bill 
in  compliance  with  this  resolution,  which  was  passed  by  the 
House  of  Representatives  in  1851,  and  would  undoubtedly  have 
passed  the  Senate  also  that  year,  but  other  matters  of  im- 
portance were  then  before  that  legislative  body.  The  bill, 
jvhen  the  "Henry  Clay"  disaster  occurred,  was  in  that  con- 
dition that  it  required  but  a  short  time  to  place  it  on  the 
statute  books  to  give  it  the  full  force  of  the  law,  and  it  was 
hurried  forward  in  the  public  demand  for  a  safety  of  some 
kind  with  its  many  omissions  and  errors,  leaving  the  additions 
and  corrections  for  a  later  date.  There  were  some  large  steam- 
boat owners  in  the  eastern  States  who  were  much  opposed  to 
the  passage  of  the  bill,  but  public  opinion  was  so  strong  at  the 
time  for  some  measure  of  security  that  Congress  was  com- 
pelled to  pass  the  bill  against  all  the  pressure  brought  to  bear 
to  do  otherwise.  The  bill  became  a  law  in  about  a  month 
after  the  loss  of  the  "Henry  Clay."  While  the  bill  was  in 
Congress,  John  Davis,  of  Massachusetts,  in  the  Senate,  and 
D.  L.  Seymour,  of  New  York,  in  the  House,  were  its  main 
supporters.  The  Committee  on  Commerce  in  both  Houses  had 
the  assistance  on  technical  matters  in  the  preparation  of  the 
bill,  of  Charles  W.  Copeland,  of  New  York  City,  for  the 
Atlantic  coast,  and  Davis  Embree,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  repre- 
senting the  western  river  interests.  It  took  some  two  months 
after  the  passage  of  the  Act  by  the  Congress  for  the  selection 


594:  STEAMBOAT   INSPECTION    SERVICE. 

of  the  Board  of  Supervising  Inspectors  'by  the  President,  an<I 
it  was  well  into  the  early  part  of  the  year  1853  before  the  law 
was  in  operation,  for  the  local  inspectors  could  not  be  ap- 
pointed until  the  organization  of  the  Board  of  Supervising 
Inspectors,  in  October,  1852. 

The  captains  of  the  steamboats  on  the  seaboard  and 
eastern  rivers  had  always  navigated  their  vessels  under  an 
unwritten  law  of  their  own  of  "keeping  to  the  right,  as  the 
law  directs,"  and  with  the  stem  and  stern  lights  in  clear 
weather  could  well  make  out  the  position  and  maneuvers  of 
another  steam  vessel  navigating  the  same  waters.  There  were 
a  few  of  the  seaboard  States,  prior  to  the  law  of  1852,  that 
made  a  law  governing  the  piloting  of  steam  vessels  within 
their  own  States. 

Before  the  restrictions  were  placed  upon  them,  the  opera- 
tion of  steam  vessels  on  the  rivers  and  coast  had  been  at  the 
discretion  of  the  captain  and  engineer,  the  latter  carrying  such 
a  pressure  of  steam  as  he  thought  advisable,  or  those  in 
authority  over  him  gave  orders  to  carry,  .without  any  govern- 
ment supervision,  but  governed  by  circumstances  surrounding 
them.  It  might  be  expected  that  when  a  law  prescribed  limits* 
for  the  officers  to  work  within,  after  being  allowed  such  liberty 
of  action  as  they  had  possessed  before  the  law  of  1852  was 
put  in  force,  that  there  would  be  murmuring  and  opposition 
to  its  enforcement.  Some  of  the  opposition  to  this  new  law 
from  the  engineers  came  from  the  expectation  that  in  their 
examinations  for  a  license  the  applicants  would  be  questioned 
both  on  the  theory  as  well  as  in  the  practice  of  the  steam 
engine,  and  as  the  larger  number  had  received  their  pro- 
motions for  their  practical  years  of  service,  and  as  the  theoret- 
ical side  of  the  steam  engine  had  not  become  in  a  very  large 
measure  a  part  of  the  practical  engineer's  life  at  that  time, 
they  had  grave  doubts  of  the  successful  execution  of  the  law. 
They  found  daring  their  examination  for  a  license  that  the 
theory  of  the  steam  engine  cut  but  a  small  figure,  but  practical 
experience,  attention  to  their  duties  and  a  good  moral  char- 
acter  had  much  to  do  with  their  passing  a  successful  exam^ 
ination. 

The  first  Annual  Keport  of  the  Supervising  Inspectors,  made 
November  19th,  1853,  says,  regarding  the  operation  of  the 


STEAMBOAT?   INSPECTION   SERVICE.  595 

law  for  the  first  year:  "When  the  law  first  went  into  effect  it 
met  great  opposition,  not  only  from  many  persons  interested 
as  owners  in  steamboats,  but  also  from  many  of  the  engineers 
and  pilots,  persons  who,  in  our  opinion,  are  more  highly  ben- 
efited in  a  pecuniary  and  social  point  of  view  than  any  other, 
as  the  effect  must  be  not  only  constantly  to  maintain  a  high 
rate  of  wages  to  those  holding  licenses  under  the  law,  but  also 
to  elevate  materially  their  social  position.  This  opposition 
to  the  law  has  decreased  rapidly,  and  many  of  those  formerly 
arrayed  in  the  ranks  of  the  enemies  are  now  numbered  among 
its  strongest  friends. 

"It  is  also  worthy  of  note  that  it  is  found  that  insurance 
companies  are  far  more  ready  to  take  risks  upon  those 
steamers  that  have  been  inspected  under  the  law,  than  upon 
others. 

"The  beneficial  effect  of  the  law  is  also  shown  in  the  re- 
turning confidence  of  the  traveling  public  in  this  mode  of  con- 
veyance. Finally,  we  would  state  as  our  unanimous  opinion 
that  the  greater  the  experience  had  in  the  operation  of  the  law 
the  greater  will  become  the  number  of  its  friends  and  the 
less  the  opposition  to  its  enforcement,  and  not  only  so,  but 
the  wisdom  of  Congress  in  enacting  this  law  will  become  more 
and  more  apparent.'' 

Under  the  new  law  each  engineer  and  pilot  was  required 
to  pay  for  the  first  certificate  granted  by  the  local  inspectors 
five  dollars,  and  for  renewals  one  dollar  each. 

About  the  first  rule  made  by  the  board  was  that  for  the 
government  of  pilots  upon  the  Atlantic  coast  and  the  lakes, 
on  October  30th,  1852,  and  contained  the  following  provisions: 

"All  pilots  of  steamers  navigating  seas,  gulfs,  lakes,  bays 
or  rivers  (except  rivers  emptying  into  the  -Gulf  of  Mexico,  or 
their  tributaries),  when  meeting  or  passing  each  other  shall, 
as  they  approach  each  other,  observe  the  following  regulations: 

"Rule  1.  The  pilot  of  a  descending  vessel,  if  in  a  narrow 
river  or  channel,  shall  check  her  engine,  using  only  so  much 
steam  as  shall  be  necessary  to  keep  her  steerage,  and  if  no 
signal  is  given  each  shall  pass  to  the  right  or  on  the  larboard 
side  of  the  other;  but  if  this  mode  of  passing  shall  be  deemed 
unsafe  by  the  pilot  of  either  vessel,  the  pilot  objecting  to  it 


596  STEAMBOAT    INSPECTION    SERVICE. 

shall  give  reasonable  notice  by  a  distinct  and  strong  stroke  of 
the  bell,  repeating  the  same  if  necessary  at  short  but  distinct 
intervals,  while  the  other  shall  answer  as  soon  as  heard  by  a 
similar  stroke  of  the  bell,  and  they  shall  each  pass  to  the 
left  instead  of  the  right.  But  if  a  passage  by  each  other  is 
unsafe,  or  impracticable  by  the  reason  of  the  narrowness  of 
the  channel,  or  from  other  cause,  the  pilot  of  the  vessel  the 
first  in  such  channel,  shall  ring  her  bell  rapidly,  and  the 
other,  if  not  already  in  the  channel,  shall  give  way  and  let 
her  pass;  but  if  both  are  in  the  channel,  the  ascending  vessel 
shall  give  way  to  the  descending  vessel,  and  no  vessel  shall 
be  justified  coming  into  collision  with  another  if  it  be  possible 
to  avoid  it. 

"Rule  2.  Should  the  pilot  of  either  vessel  fail  to  make,  or 
to  answer  the  signals  prescribed,  or  should  a  signal  be  an- 
swered erroneously,  both  vessels  shall  be  immediately  stopped. 
When  a  vessel  is  running  in  a  fog  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the 
pilot  to  cause  a  bell  to  be  struck,  or  the  steam  whistle  to  be 
sounded  every  two  minutes.  This  rule  shall  be  observed  by 
all  pilots  in  all  seas,  gulfs,  lakes,  bays  and  rivers." 

The  pilot  rules  for  the  western  rivers  were  made  to  con- 
form to  the  practise  then  existing  on  those  waters,  as  it  was 
thought  unadvisable  to  change  or  revise  them,  owing  to  the 
peculiarity  of  the  navigation  of  the  western  rivers. 

Regarding  signal  lights,  a  few  weeks  later  a  rule  was 
made  that  steamers  must  carry  a  bright  white  light  on  the 
stem,  or  near  the  bow,  and  another  on  the  mast  near  the  stern. 

The  engineers  and  pilots  under  this  law  were  the  only 
officers  that  were  licensed,  and  were  held  responsible  for  the 
safe  navigation  of  the  vessel.  The  master  was  looked  upon 
as  being  the  representative  of  the  owner  on  board,  and  was 
liable,  with  the  latter,  in  any  neglect  of  the  law  on  their  part 
in  the  fitting  of  the  vessel,  and  for  damages  in  case  of  loss  of 
life  or  property  on  the  vessel. 

This  new  law  created  an  inflamed  condition  of  the  old 
feeling  between  the  engineers  and  captains,  by  giving  such 
prominence  to  the  engineers  (and  pilots),  which  was  more  than 
had  been  accorded  them  since  the  days  of  Fulton.  Two 
sections  of  the  law  will  suffice  to  show  how  the  duties  of  these 
officers  were  viewed  under  the  law  as  licensed  officers: 


STEAMBOAT   INSPECTION   SERVICE.  597 

Section  9,  part  15,  said:  "That  it  shall  at  all  times  be 
the  duty  of  all  engineers  and  pilots  licensed  under  this  act,  and 
all  mates,  to  assist  the  inspectors  in  the  examination  of  any 
such  vessels  to  which  any  such  engineer,  mate,  or  pilot,  be- 
longs, and  to  point  out  all  defects  and  imperfections  in  the 
hull  or  apparatus  for  steaming,  and  also  to  make  known  to 
them  at  the  earliest  opportunity  all  accidents  occasioning 
serious  injury  to  the  vessel  or  her  equipment,  whereby  life  may 
be  in  danger;  and  in  default  thereof  the  license  of  any  such 
engineer  or  pilot  shall  be  revoked." 

Section  28.  "And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  on  all  such 
steamers  navigating  rivers  only,  when  from  darkness,  fog,  or 
other  cause,  the  pilot  on  watch  shall  be  of  opinion  that  the 
navigation  is  unsafe,  or  from  accident  to  or  derangement  of 
the  machinery  of  the  boat,  the  engineer  on  watch  shall  be  of 
the  opinion  that  the  further  navigation  of  the  vessel  is  unsafe, 
the  vessel  shall  be  brought  to  .anchor  or  moored  as  soon  as  it 
prudently  can  be  done;  provided,  That  if  the  person  in  com- 
mand shall,  after  being  so  admonished  by  either  of  such 
officers,  elect  to  pursue  such  voyage,  he  may  do  the  same;  but 
in  such  case  he  and  the  owners  of  such  steamer  shall  be  an- 
swerable for  all  damages  which  shall  arise  to  the  person  of 
any  passenger  and  his  baggage  from  said  causes  in  so  pursuing 
the  voyage,  and  no  degree  of  care  or  diligence  shall  in  such 
case  be  held  to  justify  or  excuse  the  person  in  command,  or 
said  owners." 

In  the  early  days  the  engineer  had  always  endeavored  to 
uphold  the  importance  of  the  steam  department  of  the  vessel, 
but  the  captain  assured  him  that  the  safety  of  the  vessel  was 
placed  in  his  hands,  and  that  he  was  responsible  for  the  entire 
vessel  and  its  cargo.  That  is  right  as  far  as  it  goes.  This  law 
brought  about  the  feud  between  the  heads  of  the  engineering 
and  deck  departments  that  lasted  for  so  many  years,  until 
after  the  captains  became  licensed  officers,  and  was  at  times 
the  cause  of  much  concern  to  the  owners  of  steam  vessels. 
Thanks  to  the  development  of  a  better  feeling,  it  has  been 
met  of  late  years  by  a  recognition  of  mutual  interests  on  both 
sides,  where  all  concerned  are  working  for  the  same  results. 
It.  must  be  admitted  that  the  higher  technical  education  of 
the  marine  engineer  in  the  last  thirty  years  has  given  him  a 


598  STEAMBOAT  INSPECTION   SERVICE. 

standing  in  marine  circles  that  the  commander  cannot  refuse 
him.  There  has  been  no  one  instance  in  late  years  to  show 
the  value  of  the  modern  marine  engineer  as  the  run  of  the 
battleship  "Oregon"  from  San  Francisco  to  Cuban  waters  dur- 
ing the  Spanish- American  war  of  1898.  It  is  recognized  that 
they  are  not  all  Milligans  in  the  merchant  service  as  engineers, 
nor  are  they  all  Clarks  as  commanders.  Some  of  the  early 
engineers  in  the  Navy  Department  from  the  merchant  service 
remained  but  a  short  time. 

When  the  Board  of  Supervising  Inspectors  began  their 
duties  under  the  law,  to  make  rules  and  regulations  for  the 
government  of  licensed  officers  of  steam  vessels,  they  found 
th^y  had  no  easy  task,  but  many  of  them  being  men  of  experi- 
ence in  their  profession,  they  knew  that  radical  changes  in  the 
law  governing  the  operations  of  steam  vessels  would  be  not 
to  the  interest  of  the  officers  of  the  vessel,  nor  to  the  owners, 
so  the  first  rules  made  were  those  regarding  the  pilots,  and  the 
signal  lights,  which  were  mainly  those  that  had  been  in  opera- 
tion on  steam  vessels  for  many  years.  There  were  some 
changes  made  at  a  later  date.  There  were  also  rules  regarding 
fire  pumps,  life  preservers  and  life-saving  apparatus.  The 
classifying  of  the  engineers  on  the  seaboard  and  the  lakes  was 
also  made.  This  was  the  principal  ground  covered  in  the 
first  year,  though  by  no  means  the  extent  of  their  labors.  This 
board  had  on  its  hands  the  making  of  the  rules  for  the 
guidance  of  the  local  inspectors  of  the  several  districts,  and 
as  there  was  no  maritime  power  that  had  their  steam  naviga- 
tion similar  to  our  own,  with  so  much  internal  navigation 
mainly,  that  they  could  refer  to  for  results,  the  board  were 
compelled  to  rely  upon  their  own  judgment  and  experience 
in  the  making  of  their  rules.  One  thing  that  gave  them  much 
concern  for  the  first  few  years  was  the  want  of  uniformity  in 
the  interpretation  of  the  rules  by  the  local  inspectors  of  the 
several  districts.  This  was  overcome  after  a  time.  It  will 
thus  be  seen  that  it  required  much  time  and  labor  to  get  the 
law  into  anything  like  working  order,  especially  where  the 
whole  executive  as  well  as  administrative  force  were  new  to 
the  situation. 

There  was  a  great  advance  made  in  the  inspection  service 
When  all  marine  steam  boilers  were  subjected  to  the  hydro- 


STEAMBOAT   INSPECTION   SERVICE.  599 

static  test.  This  was  not  original  with  the  board.  The 
results  obtained  were  in  some  cases  a  surprise  to  the  in- 
spectors, especially  the  weakness  developed  in  the  bracing  of 
the  steam  chimneys  and  as  well  as  the  furnaces.  It  was  a 
school  of  education  for  the  engineers  of  the  board.  In  their 
Annual  Report  of  1855  they  refer  to  this  subject  and  say: 
"'Aside  from  those  benefits  arising  from  the  operation  of  the 
steamboat  law  which  are  open  and  patent  to  the  public,  cases 
frequently  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  inspectors  in  the  per- 
formance of  their  duties  which  show  forth  the  benefits  still 
more  strongly.  These  cases  are  mainly  where  defects  are 
brought  to  light  by  the  process  of  inspection  and  proving  of 
boilers,  which  otherwise  would  not  have  been  discovered  ex- 
cept by  the  occurrence  of  some  serious  accident,  which  having 
occurred,  the  cause  cannot  possibly  be  ascertained,  and  always 
remains  a  mystery.  As  exhibiting  the  benefits  arising  from 
the  operation  of  the  law  in  this  particular,  we  cite  the  follow- 
ing cases  among  those  which  have  occurred."  These  are  but 
a  part  of  the  report  on  the  subject. 

"In  the  First  Supervising  District  on  one. occasion,  two 
flues  of  a  new  boiler  were  collapsed  while  being  submitted  to 
the  hydrostatic  test  at  a  pressure  little  above  that  which  was 
intended  to  be  carried  when  in  use.  On  another  occasion,  on 
applying  the  hydrostatic  test,  seven  of  the  stays  upon  the 
furnace  were  broken  and  the  crown  of  the  furnace  collapsed. 
And  in  a  third  case,  upon  a  similar  application  of  the  test,  the 
crown  of  the  furnace  was  collapsed  and  the  sides  crippled, 
so  that  an  entire  newr  furnace  was  required  to  be  put  in.  Many 
other  similar  cases  of  minor  importance  have  occurred  in  this 
district. 

"In  the  Second  Supervising  District  on  one  occasion,  upon 
the  application  of  the  hydrostatic  test  to  a  boiler,  two  Of  the 
flues  were  collapsed  at  a  pressure  much  below  that  at  which 
it  was.  intended  to  be  used.  On  another  occasion,  upon  apply- 
ing the  test,  the  manhole  plate  was  burst  and  the  boiler 
started  at  the  manhole  opening.  On  still  another  occasion  a 
portion  of  the  steam  chimney  was  collapsed.  On  another,  the 
application  of  the  test  ruptured  the  steam  pipe.  A  case 
presenting  negative  evidence  of  the  value  of  inspection  oc- 
curred in  this  district,  where  an  application  was  made  to  the 


600  STEAMBOAT   INSPECTION   SERVICE. 

local  board  to  inspect  a  steamer.  They  commenced  the  in- 
spection, and  required  certain  repairs  to  be  made  to  the  boiler, 
which  the  owners  refused  to  make,  and  declined  to  have  the 
inspection  completed,  preferring  to  forego  the  carrying  of  pas- 
sengers. They  went  on  their  route,  and  on  their  first  trip  the 
boiler  burst  and  one  or  two  of  the  crew  were  killed.  One  case 
of  an  extraordinary  character  occurred  in  this  district.  The 
steamer  referred  to  went  upon  a  trial  trip,  and  during  the  trip 
carried  a  maximum  pressure  of  steam  of  about  34  pounds. 
On  the  day  succeeding  the  trial  trip,  the  boat  was  inspected, 
and  upon  applying  the  hydrostatic  test  to  the  boiler  some  30 
to  40  of  the  braces  were  carried  away  when  a  pressure  of 
only  31  or  32  pounds  had  been  attained.  A  large  number  of 
additional  braces  were  put  in  before  the  boiler  would  stand 
the  required  test. 

"In  the  Third  Supervising  District,  on  one  occasion,  by  the 
application  of  the  hydrostatic  test  to  a  boiler,  one  of  the  sheets 
was  ruptured  to  such  an  extent  that  an  entire  new  sheet  was 
required  to  be  put  in  before  a  certificate  would  be  given. 
Other  instances  have  also  occurred  of  a  similar  character  but 
of  minor  importance/'' 

Those  mentioned  are  from  the  Atlantic  coast  inspection 
districts.  Those  from  the  western  river  and  lake  districts  are : 

"In  the  Fifth  Supervising  District  there  have  been  seven 
boilers  ruptured  in  applying  the  hydrostatic  test,  and  very 
extensive  repairs  have  been  required  before  certificates  were 
granted.  At  one  inspection  the  steam  pipe  was  burst  by  the 
application  of  the  hydrostatic  test,  and  further  examination 
showing  that  the  pipes  were  wholly  deficient  in  strength,  new 
pipes  were  required  by  the  inspectors.  In  another  case,  in 
applying  the  hydrostatic  test,  one  of  the  flues  of  a  new  boiler 
was  collapsed,  and  the  result  of  further  examination  was  a 
condemnation  of  both  flues.  New  flues  were  put  in  before  a 
certificate  was  granted.  Four  boilers  had  all  their  head  braces 
torn  off  or  broken  and  new  braces  of  greater  strength  were 
required  before  a  certificate  was  given  by  the  inspectors. 
Three  cases  have  occurred  where  the  cross  connection  has  been 
ruptured  by  the  hydrostatic  test,  and  repairs  required  before 
granting  a  certificate, 


STEAMBOAT   INSPECTION    SERVICE.  GOl 

"In  Sixth  Supervising  District.  On  submitting  the  boilers 
of  one  boat  to  the  hydrostatic  test,  one  of  them  was  burst,  and 
it  became  necessary  to  put  in  a  new  sheet  before  the  inspectors 
would  grant  a  certificate.  In  several  cases  have  the  head 
braces  been  broken  or  torn  off  when  the  test  was  applied, 
and  new  braces  of  greater  strength  were  put  in  before  the 
boilers  were  passed: 

"In  the  Eighth  Supervising  District,  on  one  occasion,  upon 
applying  the  hydrostatic  test,  one  of  the  flues  of  the  boiler 
was  collapsed,  and  a  further  examination  disclosed  such  de- 
fects that  the  boiler  was  entirely  condemned  and  a  new  one 
ordered.  On  another  occasion,  upon  applying  the  test,  one 
of  the  sheets  of  the  boiler  was  split  open,  a  new  sheet  was 
put  in,  and  the  test  again  applied  before  a  certificate  was 
granted. 

"In  the  Ninth  Supervising  District,  on  one  occasion,  when 
applying  the  hydrostatic  test  to  a  boiler,  two  of  the  flues  were 
collapsed  to  such  an  extent  that  they  were  required  to  be 
taken  out  and  several  new  sheets  substituted  before  a  cer- 
tificate would  be  granted.  On  another  occasion,  by  the  appli- 
cation of  the  test  to  a  boiler,  the  steam  chimney  gave  way  so 
far  that  very  extensive  repairs  were  required.  In  applying 
the  test  to  another  boiler,  so  many  of  the  braces  in  the 
furnaces  and  steam  chimney  gave  away  that  almost  entire  new 
furnaces  and  chimneys  were  required.  We  should  remark  that 
the  furnaces  and  chimneys  gave  way  at  less  than  the  steam 
pressure  usually  carried." 

The  first  positive  rule  in  favor  of  the  steam  whistle  over 
the  bell  for  a  signal  was  made  October  9th,  1854,  in  these 
words,  in  part :  "From  the  fact  that  the  sound  of  the  bell  from 
various  causes  cannot  at  all  times  be  heard,  and  that  collisions 
have  no  doubt  occurred  growing  out  of  this  defect;  it  is,  there- 
fore, Resolved,  that  wherever  the  words  "strike"  or  "sound" 
of  the  bell  occurs  in  said  rules  and  regulations  aforesaid,  the 
same  shall  be  substituted  by  the  words  'sounds  of  the  steam 
whistle,7  and  that  all  steamers  carrying  passengers  and  plying 
on  the  lakes  and  rivers  flowing  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  shall 
be  supplied  with  a  steam  whistle,  properly  constructed  and 
placed  and  to  be  used  for  the  purposes  aforesaid,  said  regu- 


602  STEAMBOAT    INSPECTION    SERVICE. 

lation  to  take  effect  and  go  into  operation  on  the  first  day  of 
January  next  ensuing." 

In  their  Annual  Report  of  October,  1855,  to  the  Hon. 
James  Guthrie,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  they  refer  to  the 
above  rule  on  the  steain  whistle  in  these  words:  "We  are 
gratified  in  being  able  to  state  that  the  change  in  the  mode  of 
giving  signals  by  whistle  instead  of  the  bell,  as  directed  at 
the  last  annual  meeting  of  the  Board,  has  operated  favorably. 
There  was  at  first  much  opposition  to  the  change  by  steamboat 
officers,  but  we  believe  all  parties  are  now  fully  satisfied  of  its 
utility,  and  many  have  so  expressed  themselves  in  the 
strongest  terms,  and  that  they  would  return  to  the  use  of  the 
bell  with  great  reluctance." 

In  their  Annual  Keport  of  1857,  the  Board  of  Supervising 
Inspectors  state  very  fully  some  of  the  developments  made  in 
the  execution  of  the  law  to  that  time,  and  the  reasons  why 
some  changes  had  been  made  in  the  rules  since  the  original 
rules  were  passed.  They  had  now  been  a  board  for  about  five 
years,  and  in  that  time  had  gained  a  vast  amount  of  knowledge 
and  experience  during  the  operation  of  the  law,  that  gave 
their  opinions  much  weight  on  questions  of  the  inspection  and 
navigation  of  steam  vessels.  It  was  at  this  time  that  the 
first  complete  rules  and  regulations  were  made  for  the  service. 
The  annual  report  referred  to  says,  in  part:  "The  Board  of 
Supervising  Inspectors  have,  in  the  performance  of  the  duties 
assigned  them  by  the  Act  of  August  30th,  1852,  from  time  to 
time  established  rules  and  regulations  for  their  own  conduct 
and  that  of  the  several  boards  of  inspectors  within  the  district. 
These  rules  and  regulations  have  necessarily  been  added  to, 
altered  or  modified  as  experience  has  shown  advisable,  or  as 
new  cases  brought  to  the  notice  of  the  Board  have  rendered 
necessary. 

"In  many  cases  the  Board  have  been  in  doubt  as  to  their 
authority,  on  account  of  the  ambiguity  of  the  law,  but  when- 
ever this  has  occurred  their  effort  has  in  all  cases  been  to 
carry  out  the  provisions  of  the  Act  according  to  the  true  intent 
and  meaning  thereof/ 

"These  necessary  changes,  modifications  and  additions  to 
the  rules  and  regulations,  which  have  been  dictated  by  experi- 
ence, have  led,  in  some  cases,  to  conflicting  interpretation  of 


STEAMBOAT    INSPECTION    SERVICE.  G03 

such  rules  and  regulations  by  the  local  boards,  which  conflict- 
ing opinions  it  becomes  from  time  to  time  necessary  for  the 
Supervising  Board  to  reconcile  by  a  more  lucid  exposition  of 
their  own  action. 

"We  are  of  opinion,  however,  that  the  time  is  approaching 
when  experience  in  the  operation  of  the  law  will  not  only 
justify  but  require,  for  a  more  prompt  and  efficient  execution 
of  its  provisions,  that  all  the  rules  and  regulations  established 
by  this  Board  shall  be  revised,  compiled  and  indexed  for  the 
greater  convenience  of  the  inspectors  and  others  interested. 
We  are  fully  aware  that  alterations  and  additions  to  these 
rules  should  be  made  with  great  caution,  and  only  when 
imperatively  demanded  to  secure  the  object  of  the  law  or  to 
meet  new  contingencies  that  may  arise.  These  alterations  and 
additions  were  necessarily  frequent  after  the  law  first  went 
into  effect,  but  are  decreasing  with  experience;  and  it  has  been 
in  consequence  of  these  alterations  and  additions  that  the 
Board  have  heretofore  thought  it  injudicious  to  put  these  regu- 
lations into  more  perfect  arrangement  and  permanent  form. 

"Soon  after  this  Board  was  organized,  rules  and  regula- 
tions were  established  by  them  for  the  government  of  pilots, 
and  a  uniform  system  of  lights  and  signals  was  also  estab- 
lished, having  for  their  object  the  navigating  of  steamers  with 
increased  safety.  These  rules  and  this  system,  though  the 
necessity  and  propriety  of  alterations  was  discussed  at  the 
several  sessions  of  this  Board,  remained  unchanged  until  the 
annual  meeting  at  Detroit,  in  1854,  at  which  time  it  was  repre- 
sented to  the  Board  that  the  signal  by  bells,  established  by 
them  for  the  meeting  and  passing  of  steamers  navigating  the 
Mississippi  and  its  tributaries,  were  not  sufficiently  reliable, 
from  the  fact  that,  under  certain  circumstances  of  wind  and 
iweather,  the  signals  being  made  by  the  bell  could  not  be 
heard  a  sufficient  distance  to  give  the  required  information 
in  time  for  safety.  They  therefore  at  that  meeting,  after  a 
very  thorough  and  careful  examination,  passed  a  resolution 
that  all  steamers  upon  those  waters  should  be  fitted  with  a 
steam  whistle,  and  that  the  signals  formerly  required  to  be 
made  by  the  bell  should  hereafter  be  given  by  the  steam 
whistle.  The  wisdom  of  this  change  was  seriously  doubted 
by  many,  and  caused  much  dissatisfaction  among  those  in- 


004  STEAMBOAT  INSPECTION  SERVICE. 

terested,  as  it  was  thought  to  force  upon  them  an  expense 
utterly  unnecessary  and  useless.  We  are,  however,  gratified 
in  being  able  to  state  that,  after  three  years'  experience  in 
the  use  of  the  whistle  as  required,  the  great  importance  and 
value  of  the  change  is  now  universally  admitted,  and  we  have 
no  doubt  that  the  introduction  of  the  whistle  for  this  purpose 
has  been  the  means  of  avoiding  many  collisions,  the  loss  of 
much  property  and  probably  of  many  valuable  lives.- 

"The  rules  and  regulations,  with  the  system  of  lights 
mentioned,  have,  with  the  exception  of  introducing  the  steam 
whistle  as  already  stated,  remained  unchanged  until  the  pres- 
ent time.  Such,  however,  and  so  important  have  been  the 
results  upon  the  western  rivers  by  the  "introduction  of  the 
steam  whistle,  that  it  has  been  the  desire  of  the  inspectors 
to  bring  it  into  general  use  for  signals  in  the  meeting  and 
passing  of  steamers,  and  for  other  purposes.  Thus,  in  fact, 
introducing  a  proper  system,  enabling  pilots  to  converse  with 
each  other  while  the  steamers  are  at  a  safe  distance  apart. 

"The  necessity  of  other  modifications  and  additions  to. 
these  rules  and  regulations  have  been  strongly  impressed  upon 
us,  and  we  have  therefore  at  this  session  given  special  atten- 
tion to  this  important  matter,  and  have  examined  it  with 
great  care,  and  acted  with  the  utmost  caution,  as  we  are  well 
aware  that  changes,  unless  made  with  caution  and  judgment, 
may,  for  a  time  at  least,  have  a  tendency  to  produce  confusion 
and  perhaps  disaster.  During  our  present  session  these  rules 
and  regulations  for  both  eastern  and  western  rivers  have  been 
revised,  modified  and  enlarged  as  the  dictates  of  experience 
during  the  last  five  years  have  shown  to  be  necessary.  The1 
system  of  lights  for  steamers  on  the  eastern  rivers,  which 
has  been  in  use  unaltered  for  the  same  length  of  time,  we  have 
also  revised  during  the  present  session,  making,  however, 
no  change  in  the  principles  of  the  system,  but  simply  adding 
to  and  rendering  the  system,  as  we  believe,  more  perfect,  in 
accordance  with  the  results  of  experience.  We  hope  and 
believe  that  the  rules  and  regulations  for  the  government  of 
pilots  and  the  system  of  lights,  as  thus  revised  and  set  forth 
at  the  present  session  of  this  Board,  are  so  complete  that  little, 
if  any,  change  in  either  will  be  hereafter  required." 


STKAMBOAT    INSPECTION    SERVICE.  605 

The  revised  rules  for  pilots  and  the  system  of  lights  on 
steamers,  taking  effect  on  January  1st,  1858,  were  as  follows: 

EASTERN  RIVERS,  AND  SEA,  AND  LAKES. 

"All  pilots  of  steamers  navigating  seas,  gulfs,  lakes,  bays 
or  rivers  (except  rivers  emptying  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and 
their  tributaries),  when  meeting  or  approaching  each  other, 
whether  by  day  or  by  night,  and  as  soon  as  within  sight  and 
within  sound  of  the  steam  whistle,  shall  observe  and  comply 
with  the  following  regulations: 

"Rule  I.  When  steamers  meet  'head  and  head,'  it  shall 
be  the  duty  of  each  to  pass  to  the  right,  or  on  the  larboard 
side  of  the  other,  and  either  pilot  upon  determining  to  pursue 
this  course,  shall  give  as  a  signal  of  his  intention  one  short  and 
distinct  blast  of  his  steam  whistle,  which  the  other  shall  answer 
promptly  by  a  similar  blast  of  the  whistle.  But  if  the  course  of 
each  steamer  is  so  far  on  the  starboard  of  the  other  as  not  to 
be  considered  by  the  rules  as  meeting  'head  and  head/  or  if 
the  vessels  are  approaching  in  such  a  manner  that  passing  to 
the  right  (as  above  directed)  is  deemed  unsafe  or  contrary  to 
rule  by  the  pilot  of  either  vessel,  the  pilot  so  deciding  shall 
immediately  give  two  short  and  distinct  blasts  of  his  steam 
whistle,  which  the  other  pilot  shall  answer  promptly  by  two 
similar  blasts  of  his  whistle,  and  they  shall  pass  to  the  left, 
or  on  the  starboard  side  of  each  other. 

"Note.  In  the  night  steamers  will  be  considered  meeting 
'head  and  head'  so  long  as  both  the  colored  lights  of  each  are 
in  view  of  the  other.  In  the  day  a  similar  position  will  also 
be  considered  'head  and  head.7 

"Rule  II.  When  steamers  are  approaching  each  other  in  an 
oblique  direction  (as  shown  in  diagram  of  5th  situation),  they 
will  pass  to  the  right,  as  if  meeting  'head  and  head,'  and  the 
signal  by  whistle  shall  be  given  and  answered  promptly,  as 
in  that  case  specified. 

"Rule  III.  If,  when  steamers  are  approaching  each  other, 
the  pilot  of  either  vessel  fails  to  understand  the  course  or 
intention  of  the  other,  whether  from  the  signals  being  given 
or  answered  erroneously,  or  from  other  cause,  the  pilot  so  in 
doubt  shall  immediately  signify  the  same  by  giving  several 


606  STEAMBOAT    INSPECTION    SERVICE. 

short  and  rapid  blasts  of  the  steam  whistle;  and  if  the  vessels 
shall  have  approached  within  half  a  mile  of  each  other,  both 
shall  be  immediately  slowed  to  a  speed  barely  sufficient  for 
steerage  way,  until  the  proper  signals  are  given,  answered  and 
understood,  or  until  the  vessels  shall  have  passed  each  other. 

"Rule  IV.  When  steamers  are  running  in  a  fog  or  thick 
weather,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  pilot  to  cause  a  long  blast 
of  the  steam  whistle  to  be  sounded  at  intervals,  not  exceeding 
two  minutes;  and  no  steamer  shall  in  any  case  be  justified  in 
coming  in  collision  with  another  vessel  if  it  be  possible  to 
avoid  it. 

"Rule  V.  Whenever  a  steamer  is  nearing  a  short  bend  or 
curve  in  the  channel,  where,  from  the  height  of  the  banks  or 
other  cause,  a  steamer  approaching  from  the  opposite  direction 
cannot  be  seen  for  a  distance  of  half  a  mile,  the  pilot  of  such 
steamer,  when  he  shall  have  arrived  within  half  a  mile  of 
such  curve  or  bond,  shall  give  a  signal  by  one  long  blast  of  the 
steam  whistle,  which  signal  shall  be  answered  by  a  similar 
blast  given  by  the  pilot  of  any  approaching  steamer  that  may 
be  within  hearing. 

"Should  such  signal  be  so  answered  by  a  steamer  upon 
the  farther  side  of  such  bend,  then  the  usual  signals  for 
meeting  and  passing  shall  immediately  be  given  and  answered. 
But  if  the  first  alarm  signal  of  such  pilot  be  not  answered,  he 
is  to  consider  the  channel  clear  and  govern  himself  accordingly. 

"Rule  VI.  The  signals  by  blowing  of  the  steam  whistle 
shall  be  given  and  answered  by  pilots  in  compliance  with  these 
rules,  not  only  when  meeting  'head  and  head/  or  nearly  so,  but 
at  all  times  when  passing  or  meeting  at  a  distance  within  half 
a  mile  of  each  other,  and  whether  passing  to  the  starboard  or 
larboard. 

"N.  B.  The  foregoing  rules  arc  to  be  complied  with  in  all 
cases,  except  when  steamers  are  navigating  in  a  crowded  channel 
or  in  the  vicinity  of  wharves;  under  these  circumstances  steamers 
must  he  run  and  managed  with  great  caution,  sounding  the  whistle 
as  may  he  necessary  to  guard  against  collision  or  other  accidents," 


STEAMBOAT    INSPECTION    SERVICE.  607 

STEAMERS'  LIGHTS  TO  PREVENT  COLLISION  AT  NIGHT. 

"Rule  VII. — When  under  way. — All  steamers  rigged  for 
carrying  sail  must  carry  a  briglit  white  light  at  the  foremast 
head,  and  all  other  steamers  must  carry  a  bright  white  light 
on  the  stem,  or  near  the  bow,  and  another  on  a  mast  near  the 
stern,  or  on  the  flag  staff  at  the  stern,  the  last  named  being 
at  an  elevation  of  at  least  twenty  feet  above  air  other  lights 
upon  the  steamer.  All  steamers  must  carry  a  green  light 
upon  the  starboard  side  and  a  red  light  on  the  port  side. 

"Note.  Steamers,  although  rigged  for  carrying  sail,  instead 
of  the  foremast  head  light,  may  adopt  the  forward  and  stern 
lights  provided  for  steamers  not  rigged  for  carrying  sail,  pro- 
vided said  lights  are  so  arranged  and  placed  on  the  vessel  as  to 
secure  the  contemplated  objects. 

"When  at  anchor. — A  bright  white  light,  at  least  20  feet 
above  the  surface  of  the  water,  the  lantern  so  constructed  and 
placed  as  to  show  a  good  light  all  around  the  horizon. 

"I.  The  mast-head  light  of  steamers  rigged  for  carrying 
sail  to  be  visible  at  a  distance  of  at  least  five  miles  in  a  clear, 
dark  night,  and  the  lantern  to  be  so  constructed  as  to  show  a 
uniform  and  unbroken  light  over  an  arc  of  the  horizon  of 
twenty  points  of  the  compass,  viz.,  from  right  ahead  to  two 
points  abaft  the  beam  on  either  side  of  the  ship. 

"II.  The  stem  and  stern  lights  of  steamers  not  rigged  for 
carrying  sail,  to  be  visible  at  a  distance  of  at  least  five  miles 
in  a  clear,  dark  night,  and  the  respective  lanterns  to  be  so 
constructed  that  the  stem  light  shall  show  a  uniform  and  un- 
broken light  over  an  arc  of  the  horizon  of  twenty  points  of  the 
compass,  viz.,  from  right  ahead  to  two  points  abaft  the  beam 
on  either  side  of  the  ship,  and  that  the  stern  lights  shall  show 
a  uniform  light  all  around  the  horizon. 

"HI.  The  colored  side  lights  to  be  visible  at  a  distance  of  at 
least  two  miles  in  a  clear,  dark  night,  and  the  lanterns  to  be  so 
constructed  as  to  show  a  uniform  and  unbroken  light  over  an 
arc  of  the  horizon  of  ten  points  of  the  compass,  viz.,  from  right 
ahead  to  two  points  abaft  the  beam  on  their  respective  sides. 

"IV.  The  side  lights  are  to  be  fitted  with  inboard  screens 
of  at  least  six  feet  in  length  (clear  of  the  lantern)  to  prevent 
them  being  seen  across  the  bow.  The  screens  to  be  placed  in 


608  STEAMBOAT    INSPECTION    SERVICE. 

a  fore  and  aft  line  with  the  inner  edge  of  the  side  lights,  and 
in  contact  therewith. 

"Note.  I.  The  objects  of  carrying  the  bright  white  light 
at  the  foremast  head  of  steamers  rigged  for  carrying  sail, 
is  merely  to  intimate  to  other  vessels  the  approach  or  presence 
of  such  steamers. 

"Note  II.  The  object  of  the  colored  lights,  required  to  be 
carried  on  all  steamers,  is  to  indicate  to  other  vessels  the 
course  or  direction  such  steamer  may  be  steering. 

"Note  III.  The  object  of  requiring  steamers  not  rigged 
for  carrying  sail  to  carry  a  white  stern  light  in  connection  with 
a  white  light  on  the  stem  or  near  the  bow,  is  to  provide  (when 
the  vessel's  rig  will  admit  of  it)  a  method  of  determining,  by  a 
central  range  of  lights,  more  correctly  the  course  that  such 
vessel  is  running." 

In  1853,  the  Board  of  Supervising  Inspectors  recom- 
mended, in  their  Annual  Report,  the  passage  of  an  act  to  in- 
clude under  the  provisions  of  the  law  of  1852  all  ferry-boats, 
freight-boats,  tugboats  and  towing  boats,  so  that  their  hull 
and  machinery  be  inspected  as  other  steamers,  and  that  they 
be  required  to  carry  a  licensed  engineer  and  pilot.  In  1855, 
the  Board  called  further  attention  in  their  Annual  Report  to 
the  above  classes  of  vessels,  and  said,  in  part:  "and  could  they 
be  compelled  to  comply  with  the  law  as  to  show  proper  light 
and  to  conform  to  the  rules  established  for  steamers  passing 
each  other,  the  number  of  these  accidents  would  hereafter  be 
materially  reduced.  The  cases  of  collision  between  passenger 
steamers  are  very  rare,  only  nine  having  occurred  in  the  whole 
country  during  the  past  year."  In  1857,  a  bill  was  offered  in 
Congress  to  include,  among  other  provisions,  the  recommenda- 
tions of  the  Supervising  Inspectors,  but  it  failed  to  pass  that 
body.  In  1858,  the  Board,  in  their  Annual  Report  to  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Treasury,  speak  out  very  plainly  on  the  subject: 
"Accidents  by  collision  are  very  frequent,  but  they  rarely  occur 
between  passenger  steamers  inspected  under  the  law,  as  the 
system  of  lights  now  in  use  under  the  direction  of  the  inspctors 
and  the  regulations  established  by  this  Board  for  the  govern- 
ment of  pilots,  and  for  steamers  meeting  and  passing,  are  such 
as  that  collisions  can  scarcely  occur  under  any  circumstances. 
But  collisions  with  steamers  not  under  the  law  and  with 


STEAMBOAT    INSPECTION    SERVICE.  609 

sailing  vessels,  do  often  take  place,  and  will  continue  to  be  of 
frequent  occurrence  so  long  as  these  steamers  and  sailing 
vessels  are  not  compelled  by  law  to  take  the  necessary  precau- 
tions by  carrying  lights,  and  by  other  means  to  avoid  them. 

"We  would  here  mention  that  it  has  frequently  fallen 
within  our  observation  that  where  serious  accidents  have 
occurred  to  ferry-boats,  tugboats,  or  freight  steamers,  the 
editors  or  correspondents  of  many  of  the  newspapers  and  other 
journals  throughout  the  country,  at  once  censure  indiscrimi- 
nately either  the  steamboat  law  or  the  inspectors  under  it,  or 
both,  holding  them  up  to  the  public  as  responsible  for  such 
accidents.  By  so  doing  these  parties  but  show  their  own 
ignorance  of  the  very  laws  they  thus  condemn  and  the  duties 
of  the  inspectors  they  thus  censure,  inasmuch  as  these 
steamers  are  expressly  and  wholly  excluded  from  the 
operation  of  the  law,  and  the  inspectors  have  no  more 
authority  over  them  or  to  inspect  them,  than  the  persons  who 
thus  ignorantly  censure  them  for  neglect  of  duty. 

"We  have  deemed  it  proper  to  say  thus  much  upon  this 
point,  as  inspectors  have  frequently  been  censured  in  this  way 
t)y  those  who,  from  their  position,  would  be  expected  and 
should  be  better  acquainted  with  the  subject;  also  because 
many,  in  examining  the  tabular  statement  and  report  here 
presented,  may  be  surprised  that  this,  or  that  steamer  to  which 
disaster  has  occurred,  either  by  fire,  steam  or  collision,  within 
their  own  knowledge,  has  not  been  mentioned,  and  may  with- 
out reflection  assume  that  the  report  is  not  full  and  correct. 
In  our  justification  we  desire  simply  to  remark  to  such,  that 
the  operation  of  the  law  and  the  duties  of  the  inspectors  under 
it  are  confined  solely  to  passenger  steamers — except,  indeed, 
in  certain  cases  where,  by  special  request,  they  may  inspect  a 
towboat  or  freight  steamer." 

It  was  not  until  June  4th,  1864,  that  ferry-boats  and  tug- 
boats, their  pilots  and  engineers,  were  brought  within  the 
provisions  of  the  law  for  the  inspection  of  the  former  and 
license  of  the  latter.  For  some  reason  that  has  not  appeared 
on  the  surface,  freight  steamers  were  not  brought  under  the 
law  until  July  25th,  1866. 

The  law  of  1852,  after  passing  through  its  experimental 
stage,  certainly  showed  the  firm  basis  upon  which  it  was  built, 


610  STEAMBOAT    INSPECTION    SERVICE. 

for  the  comparatively  few  changes  made  in  the  law  through 
the  developments  made  in  carrying  out  its  provisions,  showed 
its  worth  to  the  traveling  public  and  to  the  steamboat  officers 
as  well.  After  the  passage  of  the  Acts  of  1864  and  1866,  the 
increase  in  the  business  of  the  service  was  so  large,  through 
the  increased  number  of  steam  vessels,  with  a  much  wider 
range  of  inspection,  that  it  was  seen  that  further  amendments 
to  the  law  would  be  necessary  very  soon  for  the  benefit  of  the 
inspection  service,  but  it  was  not  until  1871  that  an  Act  of 
Congress  was  passed  changing  the  law  in  many  particulars, 
one  creating  a  new  office  as  Supervising  Inspector  General,  or 
head  of  the  bureau,  at  Washington.  The  first  occupant  of  this 
office  was  Joseph  Belknap,  a  designing  marine  engineer,  of 
New  York  City,  a  man  standing  high  in  his  profession,  who 
was  succeeded  by  Joseph  Nimmo,  in  1872,  and,  in  1873,  by 
David  D.  Smith,  a  steamboat  owner,  of  Nyack,  N.  Y.,  who  was 
followed,  in  1874,  by  William  Burnett,  who  was  the  best- 
equipped  occupant  of  the  office,  having  been  in  the  service  with 
but  a  short  interval  from  1853,  and  had  seen  the  trials  of  the 
early  board  of  supervising  inspectors  in  the  prosecution  of 
the  law  during  its  experimental  stages.  But  he  was  too 
valuable  a  man  for  the  service  to  remain  long  in  such  an  office, 
and  was  succeeded  by  James  A.  Dumont  in  1876.  This  law 
would  seem  to  have  been  passed  for  the  benefit  of  the  poli- 
ticians and  some  interests  holding  patent  rights  on  fittings 
for  marine  work. 

The  same  law  also  made  it  necessary  for  the  first  time  that 
each  master  and  chief  mate  of  a  steam  vessel  have  a  United 
States  steamboat  inspector's  license.  The  fees 'for  a  license 
wrere  also  changed,  so  that  each  master,  chief  engineer  and 
first-class  pilot  paid  ten  dollars  for  every  certificate  granted 
to  them,  and  every  chief  mate,  engineer  and  pilot  of  an  inferior 
grade  paid  the  sum  of  five  dollars  for  every  certificate  granted 
in  that  grade.  This  law  was  amended  in  that  particular  by  an 
Act  of  Congress,  April  5th,  1882,  so  that  each  master,  engineer, 
pilot  and  mate  receiving  a  license,  pay  a  fee  of  50  cents  for  the 
same.  The  law  of  1871  also  required  all  seagoing  steamers, 
and  those  carrying  passengers  on  the  northern  and  north- 
western lakes,  to  have  not  less  than  three  water-tight  bulk- 
heads, to  be  made  of  plate  iron,  and  extending  to  the  main 


STEAMBOAT    INSPECTION    SERVICE.  611 

deck  in  single  deck  vessels,  other  Avise  to  the  deck  below  the 
main  deck. 

This  bill  of  1871  was  put  in  form  by  Benj.  Crawford,  of 
Pittsburg,  Pa.,  who  was  at  the  time  a  special  agent  of  the 
Treasury  Department,  and  had  been  one  of  the  original  Board 
of  Supervising  Inspectors  under  the  la\v  of  1852.  He  was  at 
a  later  date  one  of  the  board  of  the  Boiler  Experimental  Com- 
mission, to  ascertain  the  causes  of  boiler  explosions,  and  was 
rated  as  a  very  capable  man.  It  was  evidently  the  intention 
of  the  framers  of  the  bill  of  1871  that  the  office  of  Supervising 
Inspector  General  should  be  merely  a  chief  clerkship  to  the 
Board  of  Supervising  Inspectors.  The  bill  had,  before  being 
presented  to  Congress,  been  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  Super- 
vising Inspectors'  Board  for  their  examination  and  approval 
in  1870.  We  find  in  the  proceedings  of  the  Board  for  January, 
1871,  that  they  had  a  committee  of  the  Board  appointed  to 
wait  upon  the  Committee  of  Commerce  of  the  House,  asking 
that  the  bill  on  the  steamboat  inspection  service,  then  before 
that  body,  be  amended  by  inserting  "Chief  of  the  Steamboat  In- 
spection Division,"  in  lieu  of  ''Supervising  Inspector  General." 
They  desired  a  separate  division  in  the  Treasury  Department, 
to  be  known  as  the  Steamboat  Inspection  Division,  and  to 
appoint  a  chief  fully  capable  to  superintend  the  administration 
of  the  steamboat  laws  in  a  thorough  and  comprehensive  man- 
ner, and  whose  duty  it  should  be  to  visit  from  time  to  time  the 
several  steamboat  inspection  districts,  under  the  direction  of 
the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  to  confer  with  the  inspectors 
upon  matters  pertaining  to  the  service.  But  Congress  thought 
different,  and  the  bill  was  passed  as  reported  by  the  Com- 
mittee of  the  House,  giving  the  title  of  Supervising  Inspector 
General  to  the  chief  of  the  division  or  bureau.  One  of  the 
supervising  inspectors  who  was  on  the  committee  of  the  Board 
to  whom  the  bill  was  referred  in  1870,  admitted  in  the  presence 
of  the  writer,  that  it  was  generally  understood  at  the  time  that 
the  head  of  the  service  was  to  be  the  chief  clerk  of  the  super- 
vising inspectors.  The  ambiguous  language  used  for  the  quali- 
fications of  the  chief  of  the  service  in  Section  4402  of  the 
Revised  Statutes  has  been  for  many  years  the  subject  of  un- 
favorable comment.  It  can  be  moulded  into  shape  to  suit 


612  STEAMBOAT    INSPECTION    SERVICE. 

almost  any  candidate.  It  probably  has  its  uses  for  the  poli- 
ticians. 

There  was  a  feeling  at  one  time  in  some  circles  that  the 
Board  of  Supervising  Inspectors  had  served  their  day,  and  a 
move  was  made  to  try  and  have  the  Board  abolished.  But 
nothing  came  of  it.  With  the  office  of  Supervising  Inspector 
General  held  by  a  politician,  who  would  make  the  rules  and 
regulations  for  the  local  inspectors  and  keep  them  up  to  their 
work,  if  the  Board  was  abolished?  If  the  former  official,  good- 
bye to  all  the  faithful  work  that  has  been  done  by  the  super- 
vising inspectors  as  a  board  having  technical  knowledge 
required  under  the  law.  There  should  be,  it  seems,  an 
independent  body  with  this  knowledge,  to  stand  between  the 
office  of  the  chief  of  the  service  and  the  local  inspectors. 

All  fees  for  inspection  and  licensing  of  steam  vessels,  and 
for  licenses  to  officers  of  the  same,  were  abolished  by  the  Act 
of  Congress  June  19th,  1886,  to  take  effect  from  July  1st,  1886. 

This  question  of  fees  for  inspection  and  licenses  was 
looked  upon  by  many  as  being  an  unconstitutional  act,  as  they 
did  not  think  a  person  should  be  compelled  to  pay  for  carrying 
on  a  business  or  calling  in  this  country.  The  amount  collected 
from  fees  for  inspection  of  vessels,  and  licenses  for  officers, 
over  the  cost  of  running  the  inspection  service  between  1871 
and  1880,  was  stated  to  be  about  |70,000  a  year.  There  is 
believed  to  have  been  a  move  made  at  one  time  to  have  this 
in  part  refunded,  but  it  was  found  to  be  easier  to  put  it  in  the 
strong  box  of  Uncle  Sam  than  to  get  it  out. 

The  Treasury  Department  made  a  determined  opposition 
to  a  reduction  of  all  fees  in  the  service,  even  while  there  was 
a  large  annual  balance  to  the  credit  of  the  division,  with  the 
plea  that  the  service  would  not  be  self-sustaining. 

There  were  placed  in  the  law  of  1871  provisions  that  steam 
vessels  should  be  fitted  with  lock-up  safety  valves,  self-record- 
ing steam  gauges,  that  would  indicate  the  current  steam  pres- 
sure, low  water  gauges,  and  several  other  fittings  of  a  vessel, 
for  the  owners  to  provide,  to  comply  with  the  law.  All  of  the 
instruments  and  the  fittings  were  the  subjects  of  a  patent 
right,  and  the  burdens  thus  placed  upon  the  steamboat  owners 
were  more  than  was  considered  just,  and  in  some  cases  of  very 
doubtful  use.  This  was  the  cause  of  the  formation  of  the 


STEAMBOAT    INSPECTION    SERVICE.  613 

National  Board  of  Steam  Navigation,  in  1872,  that  had  its 
nucleus  in  the  Western  States,  but  soon  were  joined  by  the 
lake  and  the  Atlantic  coast  merchant  marine  interests.  The 
first  move  on  the  part  of  the  steamboat  owners  came  from  an 
impromptu  meeting  of  parties  interested  in  the  city  of  Wash- 
ington, early  in  October,  1871.  They  called  upon  the  Board 
of  Supervising  Inspectors  then  in  session,  and  were  much 
alarmed  at  the  provisions  of  the  new  law  then  to  be  put  in 
force.  They  soon  found  there  was  no  relief  to  be  had  from 
the  exactions  of  the  new  rules  at  the  Treasury  Department. 
They  now  had  prepared  by  their  executive  committee  an 
amended  bill,  setting  forth  their  claims,  that  was  presented  to 
Congress,  and  after  an  extended  hearing  it  was  passed  in  the 
House  of  Representatives  on  April  9th,  1872,  but  it  failed  to 
reach  a  vote  in  the  Senate.  The  objects  they  desired  to  obtain 
in  amending  the  law  of  1871  were,  better  safeguard  for  life 
and  property;  fixed  and  permanent  rules  of  navigation;  relief 
from  the  exactions  of  patent  right  vendors;  protection  from 
undue  liability.  Their  labors  in  1873  and  1874,  respecting  the 
progress  of  their  bill,  resulted  as  in  1872.  It  was  now  seen 
that  the  bill  covered  too  much  ground  to  be  given  careful  at- 
tention in  one  session,  and  it  was  decided  to  confine  their 
efforts  for  relief  to  a  few  of  the  most  important  items  so  as  to 
reduce  the  length  of  the  bill.  But  the  shorter  bill  received  the 
same  treatment  in  the  Senate  as  the  original  bill.  The  subject 
was  still  kept  before  Congress,  and  it  is  believed  to  have  been 
the  most  thoroughly  discussed  measure  at  that  period  before 
that  legislative  body.  The  House  of  Representatives  passed 
the  amended  bill  four  times  in  as  many  different  Congresses. 
In  1878  and  1879  the  questions  that  caused  the  most  heated 
debates  were  those  of  limited  liability,  and  the  carrying  of 
refined  petroleum  oil  on  passenger  steamers. 

It  must  be  remembered  there  were  surrounding  conditions 
in  the  official  situation  that  made  it  almost  impossible  to  make 
progress  with  the  bill  in  the  Senate.  The  law  of  1871  was 
mainly  a  product  of  the  Treasury  Department,  and  Hon. 
George  S.  Boutwell  was  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  at  the  time. 
On  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  office  in  General  Grant's 
Cabinet,  in  1873,  he  took  his  seat  in  the  United  States  Senate 
as  a  representative  from  Massachusetts.  So,  when  the  amended 


614  STEAMBOAT    INSPECTION    SERVICE. 

bill  came  up  for  discussion  in  the  Committee  on  Commerce, 
it  was  natural  lie  should  defend  the  law  of  1871  from  amend- 
ment, which  course  he  continued  during  his  term  of  office. 
There  was  also  Hon.  Koscoe  Conklin,  member  of  the  Committee 
of  Commerce,  that  stood  opposed  to  the  bill  during  the  whole 
of  his  official  career,  that  ended  in  1881.  The  bill  came  from 
the  committee  but  once,  and  then  failed  to  reach  a  vote  in  the 
Senate. 

Again,  there  was  the  railroad  interests  of  the  country 
that  would  not  aid  any  work  of  this  kind  at  that  period.  The 
newr  railroads,  as  well  as  the  extensions  of  the  older  lines  at 
this  time,  were  often  brought  into  strong  competition  with  the 
steamboat  lines  that  did  not  always  result  in  the  most  amicable 
feeling  between  the  two  interests.  Since  then,  with  so  much 
marine  property  under  their  control  and  operation,  they  see 
the  prosecution  of  the  steamboat  law  in  quite  another  light.  In 
1883,  there  was  a  change  in  the  controlling  interests  of  the 
Board  of  Steam  Navigation,  and  since  then  there  have  been 
some  concessions  made  in  the  law  by  Congress.  Still  it  was 
far  from  being  what  was  claimed  thirty  years  ago. 

There  is  no  doubt  but  that  there  were  some  provisions  in 
the  law  of  1871  that  were  for  the  public  good  and  the  benefit  of 
the  inspection  service,  and  some,  again,  of  very  doubtful  use, 
as  proved  under  trial.  On  the  whole  there  may  be  said  to 
have  been  progress  made  for  the  efficient  execution  of  the  law. 

The  character  of  our  steam  vessels  has  undergone  a  great 
change  in  the  last  thirty  years,  and  it  would  seem  as  though 
the  time  had  arrived  to  have  the  law,  with  its  amendments, 
gone  over  by  a  competent  body  of  expert  engineers  and  mas- 
ters to  find  if  there  cannot  be  some  changes  made  to  suit  the 
altered  conditions. 

It  was  a  move  in  the  right  direction,  in  a  service  that 
comes  in  the  proper  execution  of  the  law  so  closely  to  the 
interests  of  the  traveling  public,  to  take  all  officials  below  the 
grade  of  supervising  inspectors  and  place  them  under  the  civil- 
service  law,  for  while  a  capable  inspector  may  be  a  good 
politician,  it  is  very  doubtful  if  a  politician  always  makes  an 
efficient  inspector,  as  their  business  training  is  along  such 
different  lines.  There  has  undoubtedly  been  in  the  past  many 
officers  of  ability  in  the  service  who  have  given  their  best  en- 


STEAMBOAT    INSPECTION    SERVICE.  615 

deavors  to  the  carrying  out  of  the  provisions  of  the  law.  If 
competitive  examinations  for  the  places  in  any  of  the  depart- 
ments or  bureaus  of  the  government  at  Washington  were  nec- 
essary, it  would  seem  as  though  that  of  the  steamboat  in- 
spection service  were  one. 

While  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  supervising  in- 
spectors have  been  along  the  line  of  safety,  and  it  is  necessary 
that  they  should  be  so  framed  as  to  meet  all  probable  emer- 
gencies, still  it  is  not  all  to  the  credit  of  the  inspection  service 
that  we  have  so  small  an  immunity  from  accidents  of  later 
years.  The  great  advance  that  has  been  made  by  our  designers 
in  the  construction  of  the  hulls,  engines  and  boilers  of  the 
steam  vessels,  and  in  keeping  in  advance  of  the  requirements 
of  the  rules  and  regulations,  the  higher  education  of  the  officers 
of  the  vessels  in  their  profession  and  line  of  duty,  and  last,  but 
not  least,  the  owner's  desire  to  provide  every  safeguard  for  his 
property  to  prevent  interruption  to  his  business,  if  nothing 
more,  are  matters  that  have  tended  to  give  more  safety  in 
steam  navigation  of  later  years.  Otherwise,  more  intelligent 
building  and  operating  of  our  steam  vessels  has  been  a  factor 
of  no  small  moment  in  their  increased  safety. 

The  early  National  Board  of  Steam  Navigation  had  a 
provision  in  their  proposed  amendments  to  the  law  of  1871 
making  it  necessary  that  all  foreign  passenger  steamers  run- 
ning to  our  ports  should  be  inspected,  same  as  our  domestic 
steam  vessels,  as  American  passenger  steamers  running  on 
Transatlantic  lines  were  subject  to  foreign  inspection  laws. 
But  Congress  did  not  view  it,  or  the  Senate  Committee  at  least, 
in  the  same  light.  At  a  later  date  they  saw  the  wisdom  and 
justice  of  the  provision,  and  in  1882,  when  their  eyes  seem  to 
have  been  opened  to  many  just  claims  of  the  steamboat  owners, 
an  act  was  passed  for  the  appointment  of  special  foreign  in- 
spectors, an  independent  body  from  the  domestic  service,  who 
held  office  until  1895,  when  Congress  legislated  them  out  of 
office  and  placed  the  duties  of  the  foreign  steam  vessel  in- 
spection service  in  the  hands  of  the  regular  service. 

In  the  month  of  March,  1903,  a  reorganization  of  the 
steamboat  inspection  service  was  begun  at  Washington,  and 
it  were  better  to  have  begun  late  than  never.  There  have  been 
for  thirty  years  public  charges  at  times  brought  against  the 


616  LIFE-SAVING   SERVICE. 

service  of  the  want  of  good  executive  ability,  due  to  political  in- 
fluence in  the  appointments  made  in  the  service,  and  where 
there  is  so  much  smoke  there  is  certainly  some  fire.  If  the 
service  had  been  torn  up  root  and  branch  by  a  thorough  reor- 
ganization about  twenty  years  ago,  when  it  was  thoroughly 
honeycombed  with  politics,  it  would  have  been  better  for  the 
bureau.  But  the  politicians  would  not  permit  it.  It  would 
have  made  bat  little  difference  then  or  since  with  the  builders 
and  owners  of  steam  vessels,  for  they  have  been  so  far  in 
advance  of  the  steamboat  inspection  service  for  many  years, 
that  the  latter  have  not  found  it  possible  to  keep  abreast  of 
the  former.  The  licensed  officers  also,  under  a  better  system, 
would  hold  a  higher  opinion  of  the  examinations  they  must 
pass  for  their  licenses. 


LIFE-SAVING   SERVICE. 

The  present  United  States  Life-Saving  Service  is  the  out- 
growth of  the  labors  of  the  Massachusetts  Humane  Society,, 
that  was  instituted  for  the  purposes  of  benevolence  in  Boston, 
Mass.,  on  January  6th,  1786,  and  incorporated  in  1791.  Its- 
promotor  "suggested  the  outlines  of  a  plan  of  a  society  similar 
to  that  of  the  British  Eoyal  Humane  Society,  incorporated  in 
1774,  in  imitation  of  one  in  Holland,  to  restore  to  life  persons 
apparently  dead,  etc."  Of  other  objects  that  at  an  early 
period  of  the  society  engaged  their  attention  was  the  erection 
of  huts  on  the  coast  of  the  State  for  the  shelter  and  comfort 
of  persons  that  unfortunately  were  shipwrecked.  In  1802, 
there  :W7ere  six  huts  on  the  coast,  each  building  standing  on 
piles,  that  were  8  feet  long,  8  feet  wide  and  7  feet  high,  a 
sliding  door  in  the  building  on  the  south  side  and  a  shutter 
on  the  west  side,  with  a  pole  rising  fifteen  feet  above  the  top 
of  the  building.  These  buildings  were  furnished  with  fuel  and 
other  articles  most  needful  for  the  exhausted  mariner.  The 
contents  of  these  huts  were  at  times  stolen  from  the  land 
side,  even  on  that  comparatively  uninhabited  coast.  In  1807, 
the  society  established  its  first  station,  fitted  with  a  life-boat, 
at  Cohasset,  where  it  remained  until  1813.  This  life-boat,  from 
a  record  of  the  proceedings  of  the  society,  in  1829,  cost  them 


LIFE-SAVING    SERVICE.  617 

$1,433.11,  and  its  dimensions  were  30x1.1.  It  was  in  all  prob- 
ability of  the  Greathead  (British)  pattern,  but  of  American 
construction. 

In  1840,  the  State  of  Massachusetts  appropriated  the  sum 
of  $5.000  for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  life-boats  to  be  stationed 
at  the  most  exposed  parts  of  the  sea  coast  within  that  com- 
monwealth, and  during  the  next  year  the  further  sum  of  $1,350 
was  appropriated  for  adding  three  more  life-boats  to  the  former 
equipment.  During  1841  there  were  sixteen  lifeboats  stationed 
between  Martha's  Vineyard  and  Newburyport,  housed  and  pro- 
tected from  the  weather,  and  each  manned  by  a  volunteer  crew 
when  in  service.  All  the  funds  for  the  payment  of  these  life- 
boats and  buildings  from  the  State  were  placed  at  the  disposal 
of  the  Massachusetts  Humane  Society  for  the  object  intended. 

The  first  life-boats  in  the  United  States  of  which  there 
appears  any  record  were  those  of  Joseph  Francis,  and  these 
are  described  as  a  double  or  reversed-bottom  boat.  The  bilge  of 
the  boat  on  each  side  was  laid  below  the  line  of  the  keel,  so 
that  the  bearings  of  the  bottom  of  the  boat  were  on  the  two 
bilges.  There  were  air  chambers  in  the  space  between  the 
bilges  and  the  floor  of  the  boat.  There  were  also  air  chambers 
in  the  bow  and  the  stern  of  the  boat.  He  also  had  at  this  time 
what  he  termed  a  hydrogen  life-boat.  There  were  several  of 
the  former  built  for  the  Revenue  Marine  Service,  as  well  as 
for  the  merchant  service,  in  1838.  These  were  all  wooden-hull 
boats,  with  the  exception  of  the  air  chambers,  that  were  of 
copper. 

In  December,  1837,  Congress  passed  a  bill  authorizing 
the  employment  of  the  naval  vessels  to  cruise  off  the  Atlantic 
coast  for  the  relief  of  vessels  in  distress.  The  Secretary  of 
the  Treasury  also  gave  the  usual  instructions  to  the  Collectors 
of  the  different  ports  between  Norfolk  and  Eastport  to  fit  and 
send  out  the  revenue  cutters  for  the  same  purpose.  The  com- 
mander of  the  largest  revenue  cutter,  the  "Washington,"  was 
instructed  to  cruise  along  the  coast  between  Long  Island  and 
Virginia. 

There  does  not  appear  that  any  measures  were  taken  to 
offer  assistance  in  case  of  shipwrecks,  in  a  practical  form, 
such  as  we  find  on  the  New  England  coast,  on  any  other  portion 
of  the  Atlantic  coast  for  many  years.  There  was  much  stir  for 


618  LIFE-SAVING   SERVICE. 

a  few  years  around  New  York  when  the  ship  "Bristol,"  from 
Liverpool  for  New  York,  was  lost  on  Far  Rockaway  Beach,  in 
November,  1836,  during  a  heavy  gale,  with  a  loss  of  63  pas- 
sengers and  two  of  the  crew.  And  then,  on  January  3d,  1837, 
the  bark  "Mexico,"  from  Liverpool  for  New  York,  with  104 
passengers  and  a  crew  of  12  men,  went  ashore  on  Hernpstead 
Bar,  and  only  eight  persons  were  saved,  and  those  by  a  vol- 
unteer crew  from  the  shore  at  a  great  risk  of  their  own  lives; 
Only  a  few  days  later,  on  January  14th,  1837,  the  ship  "Tam- 
arac,"  from  Liverpool  to  New  York,  having  4  cabin  and  113 
steerage  passengers  and  26  in  the  crew,  went  ashore  about 
three  miles  east  of  Fire  Island  Light-House.  The  passengers 
and  crew  were  safely  landed,  but  with  great  difficulty  and 
risk.  The  vessel  and  cargo  became  a  total  loss.  These  losses 
on  the  southern  shore  of  Long  Island  caused  considerable 
discussion  in  marine  circles  for  a  time,  but  no  permanent 
progress  appears  to  have  been  made  further  than,  in  some 
cases,  by  increasing  the  number  of  small  boats  on  sailing 
vessels. 

A  few  of  the  larger  vessels  lost  on  the  southern  Long 
Island  coast  and  the  coast  of  New  Jersey,  at  a  later  date, 
would  be  the  Austrian  brig  "Perasto,"*  from  London,  June 
8th,  1839,  for  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  that  went  -ashore  five  miles 
south  of  Barnegat,  N.  J.,  in  a  northeast  gale,  on  August  13th , 
1839;  crew  of  12  men  all  saved,  cargo  recovered,  but  vessel 
a  total  loss.  The  British  ship  "Constitution,"  from  Belfast, 
Ireland,  November  26th,  1849,  for  New  York,  with  180  pas- 
sengers, went  ashore  on  January  10th,  1850,  at  Southampton, 
Long  Island;  passengers  and  crew  saved,  but  vessel  a  total 
loss.  Then  the  British  ship  "Ayrshire,"  from  Newry,  went 
ashore  south  end  of  the  Woodlands  on  Squam  Beach,  on  the 
night  of  January  12th,  1850,  with  201  passengers  on  board, 
all  of  whom,  with  the  crew,  were  saved  by  the  use  of  the 
life-car,  with  one  exception.  The  brig  "Minerva,"  from  Hali- 
fax, N.  S.,  went  ashore  on  Fire  Island  Beach,  on  February  10th, 
1850,  with  the  loss  of  four  lives  of  the  passengers;  vessel  was 

*Mr.  S.  I.  Kimball,  General  Superintendent  of  the  Life-Saving 
Service,  in  the  Senate  Document  No.  270  of  55th  Congress,  says  the 
name  of  this  vessel  was  "Terasto."  The  marine  reports  of  that  day 
give  it  as  "Perasto." 


LIFE-SAVING   SERVICE.  619 

a  total  loss.  The  most  distressing  and  sad  of  all  the  accidents 
on  this  coast  was  the  loss  of  the  ship  "Powhattan,"  of  Balti- 
more, Md.,  from  Havre  to  New  York,  with  311  passengers  and 
a  crew  of  29  men,  in  a  most  severe  gale,  on  April  16th,  1854, 
on  Long  Beach,  about  12  miles  below  Barnegat  Inlet.  All  the 
passengers  and  the  entire  crew  were  lost.  The  extreme 
severity  of  the  storm,  and  the  location  of  the  vessel,  being 
about  six  miles  from  the  nearest  life-saving  station,  made  it 
impossible  to  afford  them  any  aid  before  the  vessel  went  to 
pieces.  It  was  not  more  than  24  hours  after  the  vessel  was 
discovered  before  the  whole  structure  was  broken  in  pieces 
and  floating  on  the  water.  She  was  about  15  years  old,  and 
of  600  or  700  tons.  During  the  same  storm  the  American 
packet  ship  "Underwriter,"  of  1,150  tons,  from  Liverpool  for 
New  York,  with  about  400  passengers,  went  ashore  about  4 
miles  south  of  Squam  Beach,  or  about  15  miles  below  Long 
Branch,  on  the  18th  of  the  same  month,  but  part  of  the  pas- 
sengers and  crew  were  landed  on  the  beach  by  life-boats 
and  surf  boats,  and  the  remainder  taken,  a  little  later,  on 
one  of  the  large  New  York  tugboats  from  the  vessel,  and  all 
finally  landed  safe  at  New  York.  The  vessel  was  subsequently 
got  off.  There  were  several  smaller  vessels  went  ashore  at 
the  time  on  the  same  coast,  one  being  the  schooner  "Man- 
hattan," of  Bangor,  Maine,  where  the  crew  of  9  men  were  lost, 
with  one  exception.  This  was  one  of  the  most  severe  storms 
that  had  visited  this  locality  for  many  years,  and  especially 
for  the  middle  of  the  month  of  April.  For  four  days  it  was 
a  northeast  wind,  with  snow  and  hail,  and  that  will  be  under- 
stood by  those  on  the  New  England  and  Middle  Atlantic  sea 
coast. 

In  1854,  there  were  ten  life-boat  stations  on  the  New 
Jersey  coast  between  Sandy  Hook  and  Absecom  Beach,  and 
on  the  southern  Long  Island  coast  there  were  thirteen 
stations  from  Coney  Island  to  Montauk  Point. 

There  was  a  Life-Saving  Benevolent  Association  of  New 
York  incorporated  in  March,  1849,  at  New  York  City,  whose 
object  was  similar  to  that  of  the  Massachusetts  Society,  and 
that  is  still  in  existence.  At  a  later  date  it  aided  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  stations  on  the  Long  Island  and  the  New 
Jersey  coasts,  as  well  as  some  stations  on  Long  Island  Sound. 


G20  LIFE-SAVING    SERVICE. 

The  first  metallic  life-boat,  as  well  as  the  metallic  life-car, 
were  bnilt  by  Joseph  Francis,  of  New  York,  about  1847.  The 
latter  was  first  brought  into  service  on  January  12th,  1850, 
at  the  wreck  of  the  British  ship  "Ayrshire."  In  1880,  there 
arose  a  dispute  between  Joseph  Francis  and  Capt.  Douglass 
Ottinger,  of  the  Revertue  Marine  Service,  as  to  the  invention 
of  the  life-car.  The  latter,  about  the  time  the  original  life-car 
wTas  built  by  Joseph  Francis,  in  1847  or  '48,  was  detailed  to  the 
establishment  of  the  stations  on  the  New  Jersey  coast,  and 
whether  he  had  any  part  in  the  perfection  of  that  car  by  his 
suggestions  and  advice  at  the  time  it  was  building,  seems 
doubtful.  From  the  evidence  to  be  obtained  that  bears  on 
the  early  development  of  the  life-car  in  this  country,  Joseph 
Francis  appears  to  have  the  strongest  claim  to  its  invention. 
If  Douglass  Ottinger  had  any  strong  claim  on  the  invention, 
how  did  it  come  that  the  original  car,  which  was  used  in  the 
"Ayrshire"  wreck,  and  was  the  property  of  Joseph  Francis 
till  deposited  in  the  Smithsonian  Institute,  in  1885,  was  per- 
mitted to  be  exhibited  around  the  country  and  in  Europe  as 
the  invention  of  Joseph  Francis,  without  some  means  being 
taken  to  stop  it,  if  it  wras  a  deception? 

The  first  action  taken  by  Congress  toward  the  preser- 
vation of  life  and  property  from  shipwreck  was  when  the 
Committee  on  Commerce  in  the  House  of  Representatives,  in 
1847,  had  an  amendment  made  to  the  Light-House  appropria- 
tion of  f 5,000,  "for  furnishing  the  light-houses  on  the  Atlantic 
coast  with  the  means  of  rendering  assistance  to  shipwrecked 
mariners."  This  measure  was  enacted  into  law  March  3d, 
1847.  The  amount  remained  unexpended  until  the  fall  of  1848, 
when  it  was  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  Massachusetts 
Humane  Society  for  the  Massachusetts  coast.  The  next  appro- 
priation made  was  that  of  August  14th,  1848,  for  $10,000,  "for 
providing  surf-boats,  life-boats,  rockets,  carronades,  and  other 
necessary  apparatus  for  the  better  preservation  of  life  and 
property  from  shipwreck  along  the  coast  of  New  Jersey,  be- 
tween Sandy  Hook  and  Little  Egg  Harbor,  ten  thousand 
dollars;  to  be  expended  under  the  supervision  of  such  officer 
as  maj  be  designated  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  for 
that  purpose."  It  was  through  the  efforts  of  Hon.  William 
A.  Newall,  the  member  of  the  House  from  New  Jersey,  repre- 


LIFE-SAVING    SERVICE.  621 

sorting  this  Congressional  District,  that  the  appropriation  was 
made.  This  may  be  said  to  have  been  the  first  step  taken  by 
the  Congress  toward  the  equipment  of  any  stations  on  the 
coast  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York  for  life-saving  purposes. 
In  the  month  of  March,  1849,  Congress  appropriated  the  fur- 
ther sum  of  $20,000,  one  half  to  be  expended  for  buildings 
and  furnishing  for  the  southern  Long  Island  coast,  and  the 
remainder  to  extend  the  service  on  the  New  Jersey  coast.  In 
1850,  another  appropriation  of  $20,000  wras  made,  half  of  this 
amount  for  additional  stations  on  the  coast  of  Long  Island, 
one  at  Watch  Hill,  R.  I.,  and  the  remainder  for  life-boats  at 
different  points  on  the  coasts  of  North  Carolina,  South 
Carolina,  Georgia,  Florida  and  Texas,  with  buildings  for  their 
protection.  Further  sums  were  appropriated  a  few  years  later 
for  the  extension  of  the  service  on  the  coast,  and  its  applica- 
tion on  the  northern  lakes. 

The  equipment  for  these  stations  were  placed  without  any 
custodian  for  their  safety,  so  that  in  the  course  of  a  few 
years,  from  the  want  of  proper  care,  they  were  at  times  found 
to  be  unserviceable,  and  by  1854  it  was  necessary  to  have 
keepers  appointed  for  their  care,  and  in  some  cases  the  re- 
furnishing of  the  life-saving  apparatus.  This  was  about  the 
condition  the  service  remained  in  for  many  years.  writh  a 
slight  improvement  at  times.  The  boats  were  still  manned 
by  volunteer  crews  when  in  active  use.  Such  administration 
would  not  be  endorsed  at  this  day. 

The  service  thus  kept  on  its  way  until  1871,  when  the 
day  of  its  reorganization  dawned.  This  was  brought  about 
as  other  bureaus  of  the  government  have  been  reorganized — 
when  it  has  been  clearly  demonstrated  by  some  occasion  that 
the  service  was  totally  inefficient,  or  politically  moth  eaten, 
and  that  only  a  radical  change  would  be  of  any  use.  This 
was  a  period  when  more  than  one  bureau  of  the  United  States 
government  went  through  a  course  of  rebuilding,  and  some 
of  them  wanted  it  badly  "for  the  benefit  of  the  service."  To 
place  the  Life-Saving  Service  upon  a  secure  and  permanent 
basis,  Congress  in  1871  appropriated  $200,000,  and  authorized 
the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  to  employ  crews  of  surfmen  at 
such  stations  and  for  such  periods  as  he  found  necessary.  It 
will  be  noted,  all  this  time,  the  service  had  been  in  charge 


622  LIFE-SAVING   SERVICE. 

of  the  Revenue  Marine  Bureau,  that  had  other  duties  to  per- 
form besides  life  saving.  Then  began  the  labor  of  the  building 
of  the  present  system  of  stations,  that  was  not  done  in  a 
month  or  in  several  months.  In  1872,  one  station  for  Rhode 
Island  and  nine  stations  for  Cape  Cod,  Mass.,  were  authorized 
by  Congress;  and  in  1873,  Congress  having  appropriated 
$1 00,000  for  a  further  extension  of  the  life-saving  service,  five 
new  stations  were  established  on  the  Maine  coast,  one  on 
New  Hampshire  coast,  five  on  Massachusetts  coast,  one  on 
Rhode  Island,  three  on  Virginia,  and  seven  on  North  Carolina 
coast.  The  matter  of  improved  equipment  for  the  stations 
was  one  of  the  principal  questions  engaging  the  attention  of 
those  in  authority  for  some  years  after  the  reorganization  in 
1871. 

In  1878,  Congress  passed  an  Act  placing  the  Life-Saving 
Service  in  a  bureau  distinct  from  the  Revenue  Marine  Bureau, 
and  the  Senate  confirmed  the  nomination  of  Sumner  I.  Kim- 
ball  as  its  General  Superintendent,  who  has  remained  at  its 
head  to  the  present  day.  Since  then  many  improvements  have 
been  made  in  the  equipment  of  the  stations,  new  methods  of 
work  for  the  crews  at  the  several  stations,  and  new  features 
added  that  have  proved  of  much  value.  Politics  has  no  place 
in  this  bureau,  merit  only  being  requisite  for  employment  in 
the  service.  In  this  regard  the  Light-House  Service  and  the 
Life-Saving  Service  are  well-managed  bureaus  of  the  govern- 
ment. 

The  law  provides  that  the  stations  on  the  Atlantic  and  the 
Gulf  coasts  shall  be  opened  and  manned  for  active  service 
from  August  1st  to  the  succeeding  first  day  of  June,  and  those 
on  the  lakes  from  the  opening  to  the  close  of  navigation  on 
the  lakes.  On  the  Pacific  coast  it  has  been  found  that  the 
stations  should  be  in  active  operation  the  whole  year  around. 


CHAPTER  XII. 
HELL    GATE. 

(ELL  GATE  received  its  name  from  Capt.  Adrian 
Blok,  who  was  in  the  employ  of  the  East  India 
Company,  of  Holland,  while  on  a  voyage  from 
Manhattan  Island  to  explore  Long  Island  Sound, 
in  the  summer  of  1615,  in  his  yacht  "Onrust,"  of 
38  feet  keel  and  11  feet  beam.  He  named  this  body  of  water 
Hellegat  Riviere,  after  a  branch  of  the  river  Scheldt,  in  Bel- 
gium. This  was  six  years  after  Hendrick  Hudson  discovered 
the  river  which  now  bears  his  name. 

The  first  survey  of  this  dangerous  channel  was  made  by 
the  United  States  Coast  Survey  in  1848;  also  one  in  1849, 
but  with  no  practical  results.  The  New  York  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  despairing  of  any  action  being  taken  by  Congress 
in  the  matter  of  the  improvement  of  the  channel,  subscribed 
$  15,000,  and  accepted  a  proposition,  in  June,  1851,  of  Mons. 
Maillefert  to  remove  by  surface  blasting  three  of  the  most 
dangerous  of  the  reefs — Pot  Rock,  Frying  Pan  and  Ways  Reef. 
These  were  north  of  and  to  the  eastward  of  Hallet's  Point. 
Operations  were  carried  on  for  about  ten  months,  when  it 
was  found  there  was  little  increase  of  water  over  Frying  Pan, 
but  Ways  Reef  had  an  increased  depth  of  water  over  it  of  5 
feet,  and  Pot  Rock  permitted  vessels  drawing  16  feet. 

This  surface  blasting  having  produced  good  results  at  this 
period  in  other  cases,  the  United  States  Congress,  in  1852, 
appropriated  f 20,000  for  the  removal  of  rocks  at  Hell  Gate, 
and  the  prosecution  of  the  undertaking  was  placed  in  the 
hands  of  the  Board  of  Engineers  of  the  War  Department. 
Most  all  of  the  sum  appropriated  by  Congress  was  spent  on 
surface  blasting  with  powder  on  Pot  Rock.  In  a  survey  made 
in  June,  1853,  there  was  found  a  depth  of  water  on  the  rock 
of  21  feet  4  inches  at  low  water  as  the  result  of  firing  800 
charges,  at  a  cost  of  $14,963.  The  work  was  finally  suspended 


624  HELL    GATE. 

for  the  want  of  funds  for  a  further  prosecution  of  the  work. 
This  rock  laid  crosswise  of  the  channel,  and  was  220  feet  in 
length  and  63  feet  at  the  widest  part.  The  city  of  New  York, 
in  1856.  expended  135,600  in  blasting  on  Diamond  Reef,  off 
Governor's  Island,  by  this  same  process. 

General  Newton,  in  a  report  on  the  examination  of  Hell 
Gate  for  its  improvement,  in  1867,  says,  regarding  these  early 
operations:  "The  improvements  of  Hell  Gate  were  made  by 
exploding  charges  of  powder  placed  upon  the  rock,  no  ad- 
vantage being  taken  of  submarine  apparatus  of  any  kind  to 
establish  these  charges  where  the  greatest  effects  might  result. 
So  long  as  the  rock  was  found  in  isolated  or  separate  pin- 
nacles, this  process,  imperfect  as  it  was,  produced  great  effects. 
But  when  the  projecting  points  were  knocked  away  and  the 
solid  bed  of  the  rock  reached,  progress  became  slow  and 
doubtful,  and  the  cost  great.  The  small  amount  of  the  appro- 
priation granted  by  Congress  having  been  exhausted,  the 
work  has  since  been  left  in  this  unsatisfactory  state.  The 
rock  blasted  was  supposed  to  have  been  blown  into  deep 
water  by  the  force  of  the  charge,  since  there  was  no  provision 
made  for  its  removral  by  other  means;  but  it  is  evident  that 
such  results  became  very  problematical  when  the  area  of  the 
rock  is  increased  and  the  distance  to  which  the  fragments 
should  be  removed  increased. 

"No  reliable  estimate  could  be  framed  upon  such  a  pro- 
cess, even  if  it  were  sure  to  be  attended  with  final  success, 
which  is  more  than  doubtful. 

"The  employment  of  divers,  which  the  small  amount  ap- 
propriated for  this  improvement  did  not  justify,  would  have 
had  a  result  more  satisfactory  and  perhaps  have  furnished 
data  for  calculation.  As  it  is,  for  this  particular  locality,  no 
additions  to  our  previous  knowledge  have  been  gained.  The 
project  presented  to  this  report  consists  in  first  preparing 
the  surface  for  ulterior  operations  by  blowing  off  the  sharp 
points  and  projections  by  charges  placed  in  position  by  divers 
until  the  rock  is  reduced  to  a  more  uniform  surface,  then  to 
blast  the  rock  by  introducing  charges  into  drill  holes  made 
for  the  purpose,  and  to  remove  the  debris  by  divers. 

"The  current,  which  has  a  maximum  velocity  of  8.50  miles, 
limits  the  time  of  working  under  water  to  a  little  over  two 


HELL    GATE.  625 

hours  a  day,  during  and  about  the  time  of  slack  water,  and 
hence  the  time  and  expense,  unless  some  means  of  shielding 
the  divers  and  operators  from  the  force  of  the  current  can  be 
devised,  would  prove  a  serious  objection." 

In  1868,  General  John  Newton,  who  had  been  placed  in 
charge  of  the  work  for  the  improvement  of  the  channel  of 
Hell  Gate  by  the  War  Department,  submitted  an  estimate 
of  the  cost  of  blasting  Pot  Kock,  Frying  Pan,  Ways  Keef,  Shell- 
drake,  Heel  Tap,  Negro  Point  Kock  and  Hallet's  Point,  and 
removing  Negro  Head,  Hen  and  Chickens  and  the  Gridiron, 
and  to  secure  26  feet  at  low  water,  at  $8,692,645,  which  in- 
cluded the  building  of  a  sea  wall  of  cut  stone  on  three  of  the 
reefs,  and  for  the  floating  property  and  machinery  necessary 
for  the  prosecution  of  the  work.  This  estimate  was  revised  in 
1870,  based  upon  the  process  of  tunneling  the  larger  reefs, 
such  as  Hallet's  Point  and  the  Middle  Eeef,  and  removing  the 
smaller  reefs  by  drilling  from  the  surface,  and  the  cost  was 
placed  at  f  4,689,820. 

General  Newton's  plan  was  to  cut  away  the  rocks  and 
reefs  that  lay  directly  in  the  channel  to  a  depth  of  26  feet 
at  mean  low  wrater,  and  to  build  sea  walls  or  dikes  on  some  of 
the  others  which  lay  near  the  edges  of  the  channel,  in  order 
to  guide  the  currents  and  prevent  them  from  rushing  over  the 
rocks  and  carrying  upon  them  the  vessels  which  might  come 
within  their  reach.  Such  a  wall  has  been  built  by  the  United 
States  between  Great  and  Little  Mill  Kocks,  and  New  York 
City  authorities  have  built  a  similar  protecting  wall  on  the 
Bread  and  Cheese  reef  at  the  head  of  Blackwell's  Island. 

For  the  removal  of  rock,  two  methods  were  made  use  of. 
When  the  rock  was  isolated  and  not  of  too  great  extent,  a 
heavy  steam-drill  scow,  built  for  the  purpose,  was  anchored 
over  it,  the  rock  was  drilled,  blasted,  and  the  debris  were 
removed  by  steam  dredges  or  grapples.  When  the  rock  was 
of  great  extent  it  was  regularly  mined,  the  mining  galleries 
crossing  each  other  at  right  angles  and  penetrating  every  part 
of  the  rock  to  be  removed.  The  pillars  of  rock  between  the 
galleries,  and  the  rock  roof  covering  them,  were  then  pierced 
by  the  pneumatic  drill  with  blast  holes,  which  were  loaded 
with  high  explosives,  and  the  whole  mass  was  blown  up  at 


626  HELL    GATE. 

one  discharge  and  the  broken  rock  subsequently  removed  by 
the  steam  dredge  or  grapple. 

The  steam-drill  scow  used  for  the  removal  of  the  isolated 
rocks  was  designed  by  General  Newton,  and  consisted  essen- 
tially of  a  hull  carrying  a  boiler-iron  dome  containing  the 
drills,  which  was  to  be  lowered  upon  the  rock  to  be  removed 
when  the  scow  was  anchored  over  it.  The  hull  was  heavy 
enough  to  safely  resist  the  shock  of  the  vessels  which  of 
necessity  frequently  came  into  collision  with  it,  when  it  was 
working  in  that  crowded  channel. 

By  the  method  of  mining,  3  acres  of  Hallet's  Point  have 
been  cut  away  to  a  depth  of  26  feet  at  mean  low  water,  and 
the  Middle  Keef,  at  Hell  Gate,  covering  9  acres,  and  including 
Flood  Rocks  and  the  Negro  Heads,  Hen  and  Chickens  and 
Gridiron,  have  been  broken  up. 

In  the  explosion  at  Hallet's  Point,  on  Sunday,  September 
24th,  1876,  nearly  50,000  pounds  of  high  explosives,  chiefly 
dynamite,  were  used,  and  most  of  the  charges  were  connected 
directly  with  the  exploding  battery,  only  822  out  of  3,640  being 
unconnected  and  exploded  by  sympathy. 

In  the  explosion  at  Flood  Eock,  on  October  10th,  1885, 
nearly  300,000  pounds  of  high  explosives,  chiefly  rack-a-rock, 
were  used,  divided  among  12,561  charges,  none  of  them  being 
connected  with  the  firing  battery,  but  fired  sympathetically  by 
the  explosion  of  591  primary  charges,  distributed  through  the 
mine  and  connected  directly  with  the  firing  battery.  The 
mining  of  this  rock  was  commenced  in  June,  1875. 

The  removal  of  Hallet's  Point  was  begun  in  1869,  and  the 
final  blast  was  on  September  24th,  1876.  This  was  a  day 
of  great  alarm  to  many  people  within  and  a  few  miles  of  New 
York  City,  for  fear  that  the  blast  might  be  as  destructive  to 
persons  and  property  in  the  vicinity  as  an  earthquake,  but  it 
all  passed  off  as  safely  as  any  well-conducted  explosion  should. 

At  the  close  of  1896  the  following  parts  of  this  project 
had  been  carried  out:  Hallet's  Point,  covering  3  acres;  Ways 
Beef s,  Shelldrake,  North  Brother's  Island  Reef  and  Scaly  Rock 
had  been  removed  to  the  projected  depth  of  26  feet.  Heel  Tap 
had  been  broken  to  26  feet  and  dredged  to  20%  feet,  and  the 
least  depths  on  Frying  Pan  and  Pot  Rock  were  18  and  22.8 
feet  at  mean  low  water,  respectively.  Flood  Rock  and  con- 


STEAM  CALLIOPE  OB  ORGAN.  627 

necting  reefs,  covering  9  acres,  had  been  broken  to  30  feet. 
The  least  depth  over  Flood  Rock,  Hen  and  Chickens  and 
Gridiron  was  20  feet  at  mean  low  water,  and  in  the  channel 
between  Flood  Rock  and  the  Mill  Rocks,  18  feet.  The  reef  off 
Sunken  Meadow,  which  originally  had  only  11  feet  over  it,  had 
been  lowered  to  16  feet  over  main  reef,  and  to  18  feet  on  the 
southern  half. 

Since  3896  there  has  been  no  prosecution  of  the  work  in 
Hell  Gate  proper  further  than  dredging  a  small  amount  of 
rock,  all  the  attention  being  given  to  removing  the  isolated 
rocks  in  the  East  River,  south  of  Blackwell's  Island.  The 
cost  of  improving  the  navigation  of  Hell  Gate  to  this  date  has 
been  not  far  from  $5,000,000,  and  this  has  been  money  well 
invested. 

Washington  Irving  wrote  of  this  stream:  "Being  at  the 
best  of  times  a  very  violent  and  impetuous  current,  it  takes 
these  impediments  in  mighty  dudgeon;  boiling  in  whirlpools; 
hrawling  and  fretting  in  ripples ;  raging  and  roaring  in  rapids 
and  breakers;  and,  in  short,  indulging  in  all  kinds  of  wrong- 
headed  paroxysms^  At  such  times,  woe  to  any  unlucky  vessel 
that  ventures  within  its  clutches.  This  termagant  humor, 
however,  prevails  only  at  certain  times  of  tide.  At  low  water, 
for  instance,  it  is  as  pacific  a  stream  as  you  would  wish  to  see. 
But  as  the  tide  rises  it  begins  to  fret;  at  half- tide  it  roars 
with  might  and  main,  like  a  bull  bellowing  for  more  drink; 
T)ut  when  the  tide  is  full  it  relapses  into  quiet,  and  for  a  time 
sleeps  as  soundly  as  an  alderman  after  dinner.  In  fact,  it  may 
l>e  compared  to  a  quarrelsome  toper,  who  is  a  peaceable  fellow 
enough  when  he  has  no  liquor  at  all,  or  when  he  has  a 
skinful,  but  who,  when  half  seas  over,  plays  the  very  devil." 


STEAM  CALLIOPE  OR  ORGAN. 

The  steam  calliope  or  organ  was  the  product  of  American 
genius,  being  the  invention  of  J.  C.  Stoddard,  of  Worcester, 
Mass.,  who  received  a  patent  for  his  invention  on  October  9th, 
1855.  He  was  a  mechanic  of  much  ingenuity,  and  conceived 
the  idea  that  the  bells  of  the  whistle  by  the  vibration  of  whose 
thin  edges  the  sound  of  the  steam  whistle  is  produced,  could 


628  STEAM  CALLIOPE  OR  ORGAN. 

be  so  arranged  as  to  render  accurately  the  diatonic  scale  in 
music,  and  after  experimenting  some  time  he  succeeded  in 
constructing  a  series  of  bells,  on  which  seven  notes  of  the 
octave  could  be  played  by  steam.  He  also  invented  a  new 
and  delicate  valve  for  the  admission  of  the  steam  to  the 
whistles.  The  instrument  was  composed  of  a. steam  chest,  on 
top  of  which  were  arranged  a  number  of  valve  chambers, 
according  to  the  number  of  whistles,  having  double  poppet 
valves.  A  small  stem  passed  from  each  of  the  valves  through 
the  chamber  to  the  outside,  by  which  the  valve  could  be  opened 
on  a  very  slight  pressure.  Over  each  valve  was  placed  a 
wrhistle  that  had  its  own  separate  tone,  being  of  different 
diameter  and  depth  of  bell.  A  cylinder  with  pins  inserted,  or 
driven  into  the  wheel,  like  unto  a  music  box,  was  so  placed 
as  to  lift  the  valves  as  it  revolved,  and  thus  produced  the 
tunes.  The  principle  of  this  wheel  was  the  same  as  in  the 
music  box.  But  there  was  an  important  difference  between 
them.  In  a  music  box  the  tones  are  all  of  a  length,  while  in 
the  calliope  they  were  of  different  lengths,  as  whole,  half, 
quarters,  eighths,  etc.,  and  also  dotted  notes,  consequently  the 
pins  had  to  be  of  different  shapes.  Subsequently,  improve- 
ments were  made  that  permitted  of  the  playing  of  the  instru- 
ment through  the  medium  of  a  keyboard,  like  a  piano  or 
an  organ. 

A  company  was  formed  for  the  manufacture  of  these 
instruments  late  in  1855,  in  Worcester,  Mass.,  known  as  the 
American  Steam  Music  Company,  who  continued  business  for 
about  five  years.  These  instruments  were  intended  for  use 
upon  steamboats,  locomotives,  and  with  the  circus  and  large 
exhibitions  and  shows  that  were  permanently  in  business. 

The  first  marine  exhibit  of  the  calliope  was  that  given  by 
the  company  in  the  waters  around  New  York  City,  on  August 
6th,  7th,  8th  and  9th,  1856.  They  fitted  up  an  instrument 
on  the  large  side-wheel  tugboat  "Union,"  that  they  had  char- 
tered, and  gave  two  or  three  excursions  each  day  around  the 
rivers,  during  which  time  the  calliope  was  operated  for  the 
pleasure  of  the  passengers  and  also  to  bring  it  to  the  notice  of 
the  owners  of  passenger  steamboats  for  adoption.  This 
machine  was  placed  on  the  "Glen  Cove,"  and  was  the  first 
on  a  passenger  steamboat,  as  previously  stated.  This  instru- 


STEAM    CALLIOPE    OR    ORGAN.  629 

ment  had  a  revolving  cylinder,  and  was  of  a  small  size  com- 
paratively. The  next  steamboat  in  eastern  waters  to  have 
a  calliope  on  board  for  service,  was  the  "Armenia,''  on  the 
Hudson  River,  in  1858.  It  was  built  expressly  for  the  vessel, 
was  fitted  with  34  whistles,  and  the  keyboard  was  located  at 
the  after  bulkhead  of  the  engine  space  on  the  promenade  deck 
in  the  main  saloon.  The  vessel  had  new  boilers  the  year 
before,  but  after  this  machine  was  installed,  it  was  found  on 
the  bad  weeks,  or  when  they  had  a  head  tide  and  wanted  most 
all  the  steam  the  boilers  would  furnish  for  the  main  engine, 
that  it  required  much  harder  firing  if  the  calliope  was  operated 
very  often.  Otherwise,  they  consumed  much  steam  during 
operation.  This  machine  was  operated  during  some  of  the 
period  of  her  running  on  the  river  by  a  Prof.  Van  der  Wyde, 
Avho  was  a  very  skilful  operator  of  the  instrument.  It  was 
removed  from  the  vessel  prior  to  1870,  after  her  coming  into 
the  possession  of  Alfred  Van  Santvoord.  It  was  not  every 
skilled  instrumental  musician  who  could  operate  these  key- 
board instruments  to  good  effect,  as  it  required  a  soft  and 
very  quick  touch  to  open  and  close  the  valve  so  as  to  obtain 
the  best  results.  The  next  steamboat  to  have  a  calliope,  and 
the  last  in  operation  on  the  coast,  was  the  "Gen'l  Sedgwick." 
This  instrument  was  at  the  Centennial  Exhibition,  at  Phila- 
delphia, Pa.,  in  1876,  and  is  believed  to  have  been  constructed 
at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  was  of  the  largest  size.  It  remained 
on  board  the  vessel  until  it  was  sold,  in  1887,  by  the  Briggs 
Excursion  Company  to  the  Myers  Navigation  Company,  when 
the  vessel  was  rebuilt  and  name  changed  to  "Bay  Queen,"  and 
as  the  instrument  was  too  distinguishing  a  mark  of  her  former 
name,  it  was  removed.  Eugene  M.  Newman,  a  musician,  was 
the  operator.  The  instruments  on  these  vessels  were  located 
in  a  house  on  the  hurricane  deck,  just  in  the  rear  of  the  pilot 
house. 

The  calliope  was  also  placed  on  the  western  river  steam- 
boats at  an  early  date.  The  "Amazon,"  a  large  passenger 
boat,  built  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1857,  for  the  St.  Louis  and 
Illinois  River  trade,  had  one  of  the  early  instruments  that 
was  operated  by  a  Mr.  Young,  an  employee  of  the  manufac- 
turer, for  some  time.  There  were  machines  also  placed  on 
the  steamboats  "Dixie"  and  the  "Unicorn,"  much  smaller 


630  STEAM  CALLIOPE  OR  ORGAN. 

boats,  at  a  later  date.  In  1872,  the  steamboat  "Chin-du-Wan," 
on  the  Sacramento  River,  California,  had  one  of  these  instru- 
ments. There  have  been  a  few  passenger  steamboats  on  the 
western  rivers,  in  the  last  twenty  years,  fitted  with  the  steam 
calliope. 

The  largest  of  these  instruments  that  have  been  con- 
structed for  steamboats  had  34  whistles  each,  ranging  from 
1  inch  diameter  of  bell  up  to  6  inches  diameter  of  .bell,  and  the 
smallest,  13  whistles,  while  some  had  20  whistles  and  others 
27  whistles.  The  large  ones  wrere  operated  from  a  keyboard, 
as  well  as  by  a  wheel,  while  the  smaller  ones  by  the  wheel  only. 

The  earlier  machines  were  made  so  as  to  be  operated  by 
any  steam  pressure  on  the  boiler  from  which  steam  was  taken. 
Consequently,  if  a  machine  was  tuned  at  a  steam  pressure 
of  75  Ibs.  and  then  played  at  60  Ibs.  or  90  Ibs.,  it  was  not 
in  tune.  So  a  reducing  valve  was  resorted  to,  taking  steam  at 
boiler  pressure  and  reducing  it  to  the  pressure  needed  at  the 
instrument,  usually  about  10  Ibs.  per  square  inch. 


INDEX. 


PAGE 

"Adirondack"   134 

"Adriatic"— Collins  Line 417 

Allaire,  James  P 42,  44,  47, 180 

"Albany"   (1826) 46,  50,  71 

"Albany"  (1880)...  134,  136,  138,  140, 

154 

"Alida" 86,  88,  92,  93,  94  to  130 

Alexandre  Line  to  Havana 470 

American  Steamboat  Co 178 

American  Steamers  to  China  ...508 

to  512 
American     S.     S.     Co.,     Boston, 

Mass.,  403 

American  Screw  S.  S.,  First 427 

American  Line,  Transatlantic ...  432 

to  434 
"America"  and  "Canada" — Lake 

Ontario 383 

"Andrew  Harder" 149 

"Ansonia"    152 

"Arrow"   163  to  165 

"Arago"  S.  S 409 

"Asbury  Park"  179 

"Atlantic"  (1846) 328 

Atlantic  Coast  Mail  S.  S.  Co.... 464 

"Balloon"    59,  186 

"Bay  Queen" 162 

"Bay  State"  310,  316 

Bay  State  Steamboat  Co .  .316 

"Bangor"  (1834) 394 

Beam  Engines  40,  376 

Beams,  Breaking  of  Working  ..326 
Beam  Propeller  Engines  ...157,  378 

"Bellona"   40,  45,  169,  170 

"Belle"  76,  77,  81,  343 

"Benjamin  .Franklin" 266,  271 

"Berkshire"  147 

Bishop  &  Simonson 268,  281 

Blowers,  Fan  60,  388 


PAGE 

"Black  Warrior"  455,  45$ 

Boston  &  New  York  Trans.  Co... 63, 

272,  273 

Boston  &  Bangor  S.  S.  Co 393 

Boston  &  Hingham  S.  B.  Co 400, 

401 

Boston  &  Phila.  S.  S.  Co 402 

Boston  &  Providence  R.  R 270, 

282,  289 

"Boston"  268 

Bottling  Up  Steam  545 

"Bristol"  295 

"Brandy wine"  188 

Bridgeport  Harbor   357 

"Buffalo"  95,  100,  101,  103 

"Bunker  Hill" 271 

California  Gold  Excitement. 473,  474 
Camden  &  Amboy  R.  R.  Co.  ...172, 

173,  177 
"C.  Vanderbilt"..88,  124,  132,  289,  291 

"C.  Vibbard"  130,  134,  13$ 

"Chancellor  Livingston". 42,  266,  267 

"Charlotte  Vanderbilt" 149,  151 

"Chingarora"   175 

"Champion"   346,  353 

"C.  H.  Northain" .346 

Chapin  Chester 346 

Chartered  Steam  Vessels  in  Civil 

War 504 

Citizens'  Steamboat  Co 133 

"City  of  Catskill"   149 

"City  of  Kingston"  154 

"City  of  Chester"   188 

"City  of  Worcester"   334,  335 

"City  of  Boston". .  .299,  333,  336,  550 

"City  of  Lowell" 335,  552,  553 

"City  of  Albany"  128,  130,  164 

"City  of  Troy" 133,  134 


PAGE 

"Cleopatra" 328,  350 

Clyde,  W.  P.,  &  Co 447,  448,  463 

"Clermont,  North  R.   Steamboat 

of" 19  to  27,  42,  167,  168 

Cornell  Steamboat  Co 154 

Coastwise,  Pioneer  Line,  443 

Compound  Engines 47,  253,  377, 

468^  544 

"Coatzacoalcos"   .383 

Coyle,  J.  B.,  Capt 388 

Collins  Line  Steamships . .  411  to  428 

Golden,  Cadw.  D 21 

"Constitution"  46,  50 

"Columbia"  68,  84,  94,  147 

"Commerce" 84 

"Confidence"  93,  94,  98 

"Connecticut"  (1846). .  .101,  132,  147, 

344,  345 

Collyer,  George   108 

"Commodore".  .124,  289,  291,  292,  295 
"Common wealth"..  124,  292,  295,  330 

Collyer,  Thomas 128,  129,  360 

Copeland,  Charles  W.  ..114,  350,  592 

Commercial  Steamboat  Co 290 

"Crystal  Wave"   178 

Connecticut  Steamboat  Co 342 

Cromwell  Line  457,  460,  461 

"David  Brown"    180 

"Daniel  Drew"— Day  Boat..  128,  129, 

130,  155,  566,  567 

Drew,  Daniel.  .54,  63,  77,  82,  100,  111, 
113,  123,  124,  129,  288,  291,  294 

"Drew"  126,  134 

"Dean  Richmond" 124,  126,  134 

Delaware  &  H.  Canal  Co 153 

Delaware  &  Raritan  Canal  Co...  172, 
173 

"De  Witt  Clinton" 46,  51,  60,  67 

Details,  Providence  &  Stonington 

Steamboats 308 

Details,  Fall  River  Line  Steam- 
boats  326 

Details,  New  London  &  Norwich 

Steamboats 336 

Details,  New  Haven  Line  Steam- 
boats .,  .  .349 


PAGE 

Details,    Hudson    River    Steam- 
boats   142  to  146 

Details,    Western    River   Steam- 
boats  257  to  264 

Details,  Coastwise  Steamships. .  .484 
to  491 

Detroit  Steamboat  Co 379 

Disasters  on  Western  Rivers 219 

Disasters    to    Coastwise    Steam- 
ships   ...491 

Distances       on       Long       Island 

Sound 569 

Distances  on  Hudson  River 570 

Distances  on  Delaware  River... 571 
Distances    Around     New     York 

City 570 

Dod,  Daniel 11,  40 

"D.  S.  Miller" 156 

"D.  R.  Martin"  176,  362 

Dredge  Boats,  Mississippi  River.. 255 

Dry  Docks,  Simpsons 405 

Earthquake  of  1811 197 

Early      Captains      on      Western 

Rivers 215 

Early  Steam  Navigation  on  West- 
ern Rivers 220  to  238 

Eads,  James  B.,  Capt 256 

"Edwin  Lewis" 180,  182 

"Elm  City" 346 

"Emerald" 156 

Engineers  and  Masters.  .597,  598,  615 

"Empire  State" 310 

"Empire  of  Troy" 70,  71,  85,  90, 

95,  116 

Englis,  John 373,  398 

Erie  R.  R,  Co 112 

"Erie"  and  "Ontario"  S.  S 404 

"Ericsson" 427 

Ericsson,  John  18 

"Erie"  x  "Iron  Witch"  166 

"Escort" 149 

Evans,  Oliver 12,  13,  14 

"Express"  75,  76,  78,  81 

"Fairfield"    147 

Fall  River  Line 300,  309 

Fitch,  John 4  to  12 


II 


PAGE 

Fisk,  James,  Jr.,  ....178,  294  to  296 
Fletcher,  Harrison  &  Co 132, 

154,  156 
Fletcher,  W.  &  A.,  Co..  .134,  138,  150 

"Flambeau" 157 

Fog  Trumpet 574 

Fog?  Steam,  Whistle 576,  580 

"Francis  Skiddy".  .106,  107,  108,  110, 

111    to   117,    123,    124,    128, 

132,  166 
Freight  Rates,  Western  Rivers.. 218 

Forward  Main  Deck,  Covered 375 

Fulton,  Robert 7,  15,  16,  22,  23, 

39,  41 
"Fulton"  44,  265,  327,  337 

"Galatea"   294 

Garrison,  C.  K 481 

Gibbons,  Thomas 40,  45,  168, 

170,  339 

"Gen'l  Sedgwick" 162 

"Gen'l  McDonald"  186 

"Glen  Cove"  .......... .116,  118,  359 

"Golden  Gate"  175,  181 

"Gov'r  Dingley"  393 

"'Great  Western" — Lake  Erie 369 

Haws,  Washington 114 

Hancox,  J.  W 61,  133,  147 

Harcourt,  J.  H 130 

Harlan  &  Hollingsworth  Co 134, 

138,  187,  334 

Heartt,  Jonas  C 100 

"Henry  Clay"  105,  108,  111 

Hell  Gate  623 

"Hendrik  Hudson".. 78,  85,  92  to  95, 

98,  100,  103,  112,  122 

"Henry  Eekford" 47,  327 

High  Speed  in  Steamboats 545 

High  Speed  on  Hudson  River... 560 

to  568 
High  Speed  on  Western  Rivers.  .247 

High  Speed  on  Lake  Erie 564 

Hitchcock,  David,  Capt 128 

Hoboken  Ferry 525  to  528 

Hoffman,  A.  N 54,  63 

"Hope"  39,  44 

Holloway,  Thomas 187 


PAGE 

"Home"  437,  439,  440 

"Homer  Ramsdell"  160 

Housatonic  R.  R 90,  354,  355 

Hudson  River  Line 46 

Hudson  River  R.  R 120,  156 

Hudson  River  Steamboats,  Time 

of 566 

Hudson  River  Day  Line.  128, 134,  140 
Hudson  River  Channel ...  140  to  143 
Hudson,  Lower,  Steamboat  Co.  .162, 

163 
"Humbolt"— S.  S 409 

International  S.  S.  Co 398 

Iron   Hull   Steamboats,   Western 

Rivers 253 

Iron  Strapping  of  Wooden  Hulls. 274 

Iron  Shipbuilding 385 

"Iron  Witch"  82,  83,  134 

"Isaac  Newton" 81,  85,  100,  111, 

122,  124 
"Isaac  Smith"  156 

"James   W.   Baldwin" 153 

"James  Madison". ..  .77,  89,  150,  158 

"Jane  Moseley"  178 

"Jesse  Hoyt"  176,  177,  179 

"John  Faron"  164 

"John  Neilson"  171,  172 

"John  Stevens"   186 

"John  Brooks" 355,  393 

"Joseph  Belknap"  100 

Joy  Steamship  Co. 302 

"J.  B.  Schuyler"  133,  135 

"J.  W.  Richmond" 276  to  278 

"Kaaterskill"    149 

Kemble,  William  63 

Kelly,  Eli  113 

"Kennebec"   396 

"Keyport"  175,  176 

King,  Prof.  Charles 28 

"Kill  Von  Kull" 179 

"Knickerbocker".. 69,  77,  78,  122,  328 

Law,  George.. 77,  88,  90,  288  to  291, 

312,  328 
Lawrence  &  Foulks. .  .130,  134,  156, 

157,  162,  290 


III 


PAGE 

Lawrence  &  Sneeden  159 

"Lexington" 270,  272,  277  to  282 

Liquors,    Use   on    Early    Steam- 
boats   216 

Livingston,  Robt.  R 14  to  18, 

39,  40 

Lightships 573 

Logs,  Long  Island  Sound  Steam- 
boats   546  to  560 

Long      Island      Sound      Frozen 

Over 330 

"Long  Island" 360 

Lynch,  Dominick 44 

Mallory,  C.  H.,  &  Go 467,  468 

"Maine" 302 

Maine  Steam  Navigation  Co 391 

"Manhattan"    44,  97 

"Manhattan"  (1847).. 92,  100  to  107, 

112,153,186 
"Mary  Powell"  . . .  .154,  155,  160,  568 

"Mary  Patten"   184 

"Mason  L.  Weems" 154 

"Massachusetts"  (1836) 271 

"Massachusetts"  (1877) 299,  301 

"Matteawan"  176 

Merchants'  &  Miners'  Transpor- 
tation Co 402 

"Metamora" 82,  83,  86,  126 

"Metropolitan" 148,  157 

Merchants   Navigation  &  Trans- 
portation Co 292,  294,  297 

Merchants'  S.  S.  Co 294,  296, 

297,  318 

"Merchant"— Lake  Erie 380 

Metropolitan  S.  S.  Co 296,  403 

"Metropolis".. 310,  313,  316,  333,  549 

"Memenon  Sanford" 397 

Mississippi  River,  Passes  of 255 

Morey,  Samuel  27 

"Monmouth" 179,  565 

Monopoly  on  Mississippi  River.. 209 

"Mouse  in  the  Mountain" 44 

McQueen,  Robert  39,  41 

Morgan,  Charles 438,  455,  481 

Morgan  S.  S.  Co 462 


PAGE 

National  Board  of  Steam  Naviga- 
tion   613  to  616 

"Narragansett"  (1836) 274,  276, 

277,  288 

"Narragansett"  (1867)   . 301 

Narragansett  S.  S.  Co.  ..295  to  298,. 
318,  319 

"Napoleon"  60,  64,  67,  90,  171 

"Nath.  P.  Banks" 152 

"Naugatuck"   356 

"Nashville"  S.  S 448 

"Newburg"  160 

"Nelly  White" 177 

"New  Orleans"  (1811) 190 

"New  Orleans" — Engine  192 

"New  York"— Steam  Brig. .  .387,  435 

"Newport"— Fall  River  Line 300, 

316,  318 

New  London  and  Norwich  Steam- 
boat Co 328 

Neptune  S.  S.  Co 294 

"New  Philadelphia" 46,  48,  50, 

171,  185 

Newton,  Isaac 59,  63,  99 

Newburg  Lines  63 

New  Haven  &  Hartford  Lines..  63, 

342,  346,  351 
New  Brunswick  Steamboat  Co...  104 

New  Haven  Harbor  348 

"New  Jersey" 69,  92 

"New  World".. 98,  99,  102,  105,  106, 
113  to   117,   120,  122,  126,   128 
New    Jersey.  Steam    Navigation 

Co.    ..113,    123,    124,   277,   282, 
288,  289,  291 

New  Jersey  Steamboat  Co 123 

"Niagara"  82,  83,  86,  90 

"Nimrod"   106 

"New  Champion" 149 

"Noah  Brown" — Schooner   95 

"Norwich"   : 74,  89,  328 

North  River  Steamboat  Co. 44,  46,  6a 
"North  America"  (1826). . .  .46,  50,  51 
"North  America"  (1841) ,..59,  60,  69, 

82,  101,  147,  153 
Norwich  &  N.  Y.  Transportation 

Co 331 

"Northern  Indiana"   .  ..373 


IV 


PAGE 

Nott,  Eliphalet,  Dr.,  52 

Novelty  Works— New  York 52 

"Novelty" 50,  52 

"Nuhpa"   148 

TST.  Y.,  Albany  &  Troy  Line 46 

"New  York"— H.  R.  Day  Line... 138, 

140,  154,  562 

N.  Y.,  Catskill  &  Athens  Steam- 
boat Co 149,  150 

New  York  &  Rhode  Island  Steam- 
boat Co 265 

jSL  Y.  &  Boston  Steamboat  Co ...  268 

New  York  &  Havre  S.  S.  Co 409 

N.  Y.  &  Virginia  S.  S,  Co.  .  .463,  464 

N.  Y.  &  Cuba  Mail  S.  S.  Co .471 

N.  Y.  &  Brazil  Mail  S.  S.  Co. 482,  483 
N.  Y.  &  Philadelphia  Steamboat 

Co 508 

Ocean  Steam  Navigation  Co 408 

Ogden,  Aaron 39,  40,  41,  45 

"Olive  Branch"  168,  170 

"Old  Colony"  300,  318 

Old  Colony  Steamboat  Co 318 

Old  Dominion  S.  S.  Co 465,  466 

Ontario  Steamboat  Co 382 

"Onteora" 150 

"Oregon".... 77,  78,  88,  90,  103,  116, 

147,  288,  312,  330 
"Osirris"  .....180 

Pacific  Mail  S.  S.  Co.  .472,  476  to  481 

Patten  Line  183 

"Perseverance" 39,  44 

People's  Line. 54,  90,  99,  120,  124,  291 

"Penobscot" 396 

Peck,  Elijah 81,  100,  147 

"Phenix"  (1809).... 28  to  39,  167,  184 

"Phenix"— Lake  Champlain 44 

Philadelphia  Dredge  Boat 13 

Philadelphia  Pumping  Engines . .  18 

Pioneer  Coastwise  Line 443 

"Plymouth  Rock"..  124,  178,  292,  295 
"Plymouth  Rock"— Lake  Erie... 373 

Poillon,  C.  &  R.,  162 

Powell,  Thomas  158,  159 

"Post  Boy" 214 


PAGE 

Portland  Steam  Packet  Co 392 

"Princeton"    ,  .174 

Providence  Steamboat  Co 268 

Providence  &  Stonington  R.  R..276, 

282,  288,  294,  297 

Providence  Harbor  286 

"Priscilla"  322,  554 

Propellers      on      Long      Island 

Sound 336,  353 

Propellers  on  Lake  Erie 371,  372 

Propeller,  Tow  Boats 542 

"Puritan" 322,  556,  557 

Quintard  Iron  Works 134 

"Quaker  City"  446,  469 

Railroads  vs.  Steamboats 282 

"Raritan"   44,  167,  168,  170 

"Rainbow"  64,  68,  186 

Ramsdell,  Homer  113,  159 

Racing  of  Steamboats 118  to  120 

Race    of    "Robt.    E.    Lee"    and 

"Natchez"  250 

Race  of  "Oregon"  and  "Vander- 

bilt" 305 

Race     of    "Oregon"     and     "Bay 

State"  '. 310 

Race  of  "Swallow"  and  "Roch- 
ester"    55 

Raritan  &  Delw.  Bay  R.  R...176,  177 

Read,  Nathan 27 

Renwick,  Prof  James 28 

Redfield,  W.  C 350 

Record  Time,  Coastwise  S.  S 497 

to  504 
"Reindeer"....  104,  105,  107,  110,  111 

Rensselaer  &  Saratoga  R.  R 124 

Reanie,  Neafie  &  Co 188 

"Rip  Van  Winkle".. 78,  79,  82,  85, 
86,  89,  92,  95,  97,  98,  100  to  103, 
104,  106,  134,  147,  152,  186 

"Riverdale"    164,  165 

"Richard  Stockton"  172,  177 

"River  Belle"   178 

"Richard  Peck" 322,  346,  356, 

555,  556 
River   Steamboats   to   California 

in  1850  .  ...512  to  514 


Rhode  Island  &  N.  Y:  Steamboat 

Co 267 

"Rhode  Island"  (1836) 272,  288 

"Rhode  Island"  (1873) 301,  551 

"Rhode  Island"  (1882) 305 

Roosevelt,  Nicholas  J..14,  17,  27,  190 

"Roger  Williams" 86,  88,  89,  92 

"Rochester".. 54,  55,  56,  75,  78,  84,  98 
"Robt.  L,Stevens".76,  150  to  153,  165 

Rogers,  Moses,  Capt., 184 

Roberts,  Marshall  0 166 

Romer  &  Tremper  Co 154 

Roach,  John  471,  482,  483 

"Rosedale"  355,  356 

"Robert  Fulton"   436 

Running    Rapids,    St.    Lawrence 

River 382,  384 

Russian  Naval  Steamer 408 

Rumsey,  James 8,  11,  12 

"Saugerties" 153 

"Sandy  Hook"  179,  565 

"Savannah"  (1819) 185,  406,  407 

"Samuel  M.  Felton"  188 

"Santa  Glaus" 86,  97,  166 

Savannah  Line — Mitchell's   449 

Savannah  Line — Cromwell's 450 

Sanford,  Memenon,  Capt.,  ..76,  341, 

343,  389,  396 

Sanford  Independent  Line 507 

Saugerties  Lighthouse 47 

"Sea  Bird" 181 

"Seawanhaka"    361 

"Senator"   396 

"Sea  Horse" 40 

Setor,  Samuel,  &  Co 162 

Secor,  T.  F.,  &  Co 159 

Shrewsbury  River 182 

"Shrewsbury"   183 

Shreve,  H.  M 207 

"Shinnecock" 362 

"Shady  Side" 365 

Side  Propeller  Steamboats.  .151,  152, 

377,  378 

"Sleepy  Hollow"   162 

Smith  Bros.,  Nyack,  N.  Y 128, 

130,  165 
Spanish  Naval  Steamers 407 


PAGE 

Spofford  &  Tileston 444,  467,  470 

Sponsons  Under  Guards 437,  438 

Stevens,  John..  15,  16,  17,  33,  46,  169 
Stevens,  Robert  L....32,  46,  48,  50, 

58,  64,  66,  171 

Stevens,  Frank  B 29,  66 

"South  America".. 59,  60,  64,  71,  82, 

85,   92,   97,  100,   104,   105,   107, 

128,  147 

"St.  John" 126,  150,  179 

"Stockton,  Robert  F."  18 

"Stoudinger"  40,  44,  45 

"St.  Nicholas"  82,  94 

State  Rooms 69,  227,  369,  437 

Steam  Calliope  or  Organ 118,  627 

to  630 

Steamboat  Runners 96 

Starr,  Moses,  &  Sons  188 

Steamboat      Inspectors,       First 

Board   592 

Steamboat  Rules,  First,  of  1858 . .  605 
Steamboats,  Supervising  Inspector 

General  of,  610,  611,  612 

Steam  Whistle. ..  .238,  576,  580,  602, 

603,  605 
Stonington  S.  S.  Co..  .296  to  299,  300 

"Stonington"  301 

Star  Line  to  New  Orleans. .  .458,  459 

"Sun" 47 

"Swallow".... 54  to  57,  67,  69,  71,  75 

Swiftsure  Line 47,  63 

"Sylvan  Dell" 363,  568 

"Taminend" 177 

"Thomas  Hunt"  181 

Time,  Hudson  River  Steamboats. 566 
"Thomas  Powell" 133,  149,  159, 

160,  186 

"Thomas  McManus"   148,  150 

"Thomas    Collyer"    ("Twilight") 

133,  162 

"Titan"  129,  540 

Tornados  on  Western  Rivers. .  .239, 

240 

Traveling  in  1800  and  1840 285 

"Traveler" 344,  345 

"Trenton" 50,  171,  185 


VI 


PAGE 

"Troy"— Hudson  River... 71,  79,  82, 
83,  86,  88,  90 

Triple  Expansion  Engines 448 

Tow  Boats 539  to  544 

"T.  V.  Arrowsmith"  176 

"Ulster" 152 

Union  Ferries  of  Brooklyn 528 

Union  S.  S.  Co.,  Boston,  Mass 402 

"United  States,"  S.  S 409 

U.  S,  Mail  Line  to  Chagres 454 

"Utica"  148 

U.  S.  Frigate  "Roanoke" 123 

Vanderbilt,  Cornelius. ..  .44,  88,  113, 

124,  133,  147,  166,  168  to  170, 

268,  288,  289,  312,  313,  328,  342, 

350,  429,  431,  477,  480 

Vanderbilt,  Capt.  Jacob.  277,  291,  351 

"Vanderbilt"  S.  S 429,  430 

Van  Santvoord,  Alfred.  .128,  132,  155 
"Victory"    153 

Ward,  Stanton,  &  Co 154 

"Walter  Brett"  .  ..149 


PAGE 

"Washington,"  Mississippi  River.207 
"Washington,"       Long      Island 

Sound  266 

"Washington,"  S.  S 408 

"Walk-in-the-Water"  366 

Watkins,  C.  Elfreth  29 

West  Point  Foundry,  N.  Y 55, 

150,  268 

"Westchester"  147 

Western  River  Marine  Engines . .  242 

to  246 

Western  River  Iron  Hull  Boats.. 253 
"Western  World"— Lake  Erie... 373 

White,  R.  Cornell .  .164 

Whistle,  Steam.... 238,  576,  580,  602, 

603,  605 

"Weehawken"  174 

"Wilbur  A.  Heisley" 182,  183 

Wire  Tiller  Rope 254 

"William  G-.  Payne" 356,  559 

"William  H.  Webb,"  Tow  Boat.. 541 

William  H.  Webb  479 

"Worcester"  328 

"William  Cook" 172,  174 

"W.  C.  Redfieid" 148,  150 


RETURN  TO  the  circulation  desk  of  any 
University  of  California  Library 
or  to  the 

NORTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 
Bldg.  400,  Richmond  Field  Station 
University  of  California 
Richmond,  CA  94804-4698 

ALL  BOOKS  MAY  BE  RECALLED  AFTER  7  DAYS 
2-month  loans  may  be  renewed  by  calling 

(415)  642-6753 
1-year  loans  may  be  recharged  by  bringing  books 

to  NRLF 
Renewals  and  recharges  may  be  made  4  days 

prior  to  due  date 

DUE  AS  STAMPED  BELOW 


NRLF  DUE  SEP  16199^ 


FEB  1 6  1999 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


f 

& 


